Where You'll Find Me
by Grignard
Summary: AU. Wyatt Cain finds himself with an unexpected charge as he escorts the Mystic Man to an urgent meeting with the Queen. Jeb, well, he just finds love. Az/Jeb, DG/Cain, Adora/Cain
1. Chapter 1

_It's been about two years since the last complete Azkadellia and Jeb story was posted. I was inspired to write this story after watching the Syfy miniseries and Anastasia back to back. I also received inspiration from the Wizard of Oz series by L. Frank Baum, the 1939 film adaptation and the other Az/Jeb stories on this same website. __As always, the respective series belongs to its creators._

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Chapter 1

A young boy with neatly trimmed brown locks bounced on his feet, halfway due to boredom, the other through suppressed excitement.

He and his father were in a castle - a real, live, honest-to-goodness castle with a queen and guards!

And two princesses!

His mother had always read him bedtime stories about knights rescuing princesses. Little Jeb Cain would often run into the fields surrounding his home, pretending he was astride a majestic, white horse. A long stick would be his mighty sword, capable of smiting any evil which crossed his path.

One week ago, Wyatt Cain, his ice-blue eyes crinkling in amusement, bent down before his only son. In front of the roaring fireplace of the cottage he built with his own two hands, the man found he didn't have to kneel so far this time. The boy was growing in leaps and bounds. Where had the time gone?

"Son, we're going on a trip."

Jeb's dark eyes lit up with pleasure. They so rarely traveled anywhere. "We? Mother too?"

He glanced over at his beautiful, strong mother. Though her hands were rough from work, she could still calm his tears with the same loving touch.

The woman smiled as she darned a hole in one of Jeb's pants. The boy was forever wearing out the knees in his trousers with his horseplay. "No sweetheart, I'll stay home. It'll just be you and your father this time."

Her little boy gasped. He had never taken a trip with only his father before!

Wyatt grinned at the boy's astonishment. "You know that I work for the Mystic Man."

Jeb nodded. He knew that his father's position was as a member of the Mystic Man's protection detail. The Mystic Man himself was magical, powerful and always imparting little phrases of wisdom.

"Riddles, more like it," scoffed his father.

A torrent of questions erupted from his son's mouth, and the man placed his hands on his child's shoulders to draw the lad's attention back.

"The Mystic Man is traveling south to Finaqua to have an audience with the Queen. He's given me permission to take you along."

The boy's eyes were surely to pop out of his head, his surprise was so evident.

"Now you won't be meeting the Queen. The Mystic Man will probably just talk to her in private."

Jeb looked crestfallen, and his father sought to soothe his disappointment. "You'll be free to explore the area. Finaqua I heard has one of the most beautiful lakes in the O.Z."

The megawatt smile soon returned to his dear child's face.

"He'll need new clothes," his mother murmured with a gentle smile.

Jeb made a face. New clothes meant an itchy experience, but none of that mattered. He was going on a trip!

TinManTinManTinManTinManTinMan

Now here he was standing in the actual grand throne room of the royal palace in Lake Country! From the outside he thought the blue-roofed building looked smaller than what he had imagined in his mind a palace should be. It seemed to be built of magic though because inside were the biggest rooms he had ever seen! The sitting room of his home could fit in one corner of the main greeting foyer and still have acres of space to spare.

He shuffled awkwardly in place on his feet again, and his father gave him a look.

Give him a break! It was hard for a nine year old to stay still, especially when he was in such an interesting location.

Servants and courtiers rushed around purposely in their movements. Around every corner was a man or woman captured on oil paintings with a stern expression, and columns rose further than the eye could see.

"How many palaces are in the O.Z, Jeb?" his father queried to take his son's mind off of waiting.

"Three," the boy dutifully replied, "The Ice Palace on the northern island, their main residence, the governing seat in Central City, and this one, their southern vacation home in Finaqua."

He hadn't seen the others, but so far he thought Finaqua was the best. There was a hedge maze leading to the castle grounds! That was certainly a sight to see, and he swore they were going the wrong way many times, but somehow the Mystic Man had known every turn to take.

"That's right," Cain said with a proud look. Sharp as a tack was his boy.

His son shifted again, sighing, and his father gave a resigned smirk.

This boredom was worth it though. Jeb had gotten to see the Wizard himself, the Mystic Man!

The scholar was older than the youth pictured upon meeting him. A small man with greying hair, he gave the young boy a fond smile and rubbed his head affectionately. "He has a good heart," the Wizard remarked. With a jerk and spasmodic fit the man stiffened. His voice, robotic and monotonous, "He will… will need it… in the coming days…"

The wizard straightened with a shudder. Apologizing to the boy's wide-eyed stare, the Mystic Man retreated shakily to speak to a dark-haired nobleman. Jeb didn't like that man. The Counselor, as his father called him, spoke quickly and condescendingly. He used a lot of big words Jeb couldn't understand.

"Jeb, how about you run over to the lake pavilion, but," Wyatt Cain raised a stern finger. "Do _not_ go into the forest. There are wild animals in there."

Jeb nodded, promising solemnly to his father. Wyatt Cain had always said that a promise was serious business. You don't make one and with the intention of breaking it. His mother would give him a good tanning too if he ruined his new clothes.

He walked until he was out of his father's sight before taking off to expend his youthful energy. Finally! It seemed like he had been standing still for ages! With childish glee, he could see the bright opening of the double doors leading to the outside.

_Whump!_

He fell upon his backside upon the marble floor. In his haste he had slammed headfirst into a complete stranger. Jeb scolded himself mentally. His father was going to kill him for doing something so stupid!

The softest hands he had ever felt touched his face searchingly. "Are you alright, my child?"

He glanced up to answer, but the words caught in his throat like the sticky honey bread his mother made for him that morning. He had always thought his mother was beautiful, but the woman before him eclipsed her like the double suns of the O.Z compared to a distant star. The stranger leaned over him, dark hair elegantly wrapped in a knot contrasting with the lady's alabaster skin. She wore a long, flowing, cream-colored gown, covered with an ermine wrap to protect her from the chill, but most astonishingly her eyes shone with an unusual purple hue.

Jeb nodded dumbly. He wasn't hurt, only shocked from the impact. "M' Sorry," he mumbled, probably looking as bright red as one of those painted munchkins his father had told him stories about.

"It's quite alright. You are not the first to run into me in this palace."

The woman gave him a gorgeous smile, making her unique lavender eyes shine even brighter. After accepting his apology, she graciously and helped him to his feet. With deft hands, she straightened his crooked jacket in one smooth motion.

The boy stared after her as she stood gracefully and walked towards the room he had just escaped from.

"Your majesty," one of the guards spoke as she passed his sight.

_The queen! He had just seen the queen and, what at idiot, foolishly nearly knocked her over! _His mouth dropped open in surprise. She probably thought he was a country bumpkin, running through her own palace like a ruffian!

Shaking his head, he made a vow to himself as he rounded the palace walls following the pathway to the pavilion overlooking the lake. Alright! He would behave. He wouldn't embarrass his father with foolish antics!

He would-

_Whump!_

Oh no, not again.

A girl, taller than him, with long curled dark hair styled away from her face appeared in his vision as he was sprawled on the ground. Her lips were ruby red and her eyes dark in color. Her bearing was straight and regal even crouching before him in a forest green dress. First the queen, now her. How was it that every girl in the palace could be so pretty?

"I'm sorry!" Jeb blurted out. I didn't look where I was going!"

His unfortunate victim smiled as she helped him up, with a hint of laughter in her eyes. "It's alright. My little sister runs around the palace when she's not supposed to all of the time."

Good, she wasn't angry, Jeb thought. Older than him, and oh so much taller. It was unfair. He was still the smallest of the boys in his hometown. His father told him to be patient, he was still growing, but Jeb wanted to be taller now!

"Have you seen her, my sister?" She addressed him in a sweet, soft voice. "A little girl with dark hair younger than you? She's wearing a red dress. She promised we'd play by the lake today."

Jeb shook his head. He hadn't seen a little girl. The only children around the place had been him. He hadn't even seen a glimpse of the princesses around either.

The girl sighed in exasperation. "Maybe she's out by the pavilion," she muttered.

The brown-haired youth took the opportunity to make amends, "My father gave me permission to walk that way. I can help you look for her. Maybe two pair of eyes would find her faster."

"I'm Jeb Cain," he said offering his hand for a handshake he had seen his father do with the men he met.

His companion quirked a dark eyebrow, shaking his hand gingerly as if she wasn't used to the action. "My name is Azkadellia." She dropped into a graceful curtsey despite the presence of her sturdy boots.

"Azka-what?"

"Az-ka-dellia." The girl spoke her name a little slower. What had her mother been thinking gifting her with such a cumbersome name? Her little sister's was only two letters, after all!

"Mmh..ba…Dellia?" Jeb tried. "Can I call you Dellia instead?"

Azkadellia perked up. This little boy was so candid with her. None of the nobleman's children treated her so openly. "Dellia, I like that."

The newly formed pair took the walkway to the pavilion, a sturdy outdoor structure with a hanging swing installed in its center.

"It's perfect for reading or watching the lake."

Jeb's forehead crinkled in confusion. "Would the palace let anyone use it? Father says I can see it, but not to play on it. It's only for the royal family."

Azkadellia grinned, "Oh they'll let me use it," she said with a trace of laughter in her tone.

There was no sight of her little sister. They walked around the building continuing their search.

"Look there's a pile of stones," Jeb noticed the anomaly amongst the green grass.

It was a sad little pile, haphazard and tilted crookedly. His new friend groaned in exasperation. "That's DG's work alright."

She bent taking apart the sorry structure, and Jeb crouched down to do the same.

"What was she trying to hide?" he wondered.

"Oh!" was the answer. In the girl's small, white hands she held a flat stone, somewhat shaped into a heart. "It's perfect. She was probably saving it for a special day."

Azkadellia reverently placed the stone back in its center, and between the two of them, had a sturdier construction built to hide the secret in no time.

"Now where is DG? We decorated some figurines, but she got red paint on her hands. She said it would only take her a few minutes to clean up."

Jeb shrugged. It seemed like this mysterious little sister was a myth.

"Maybe she's with my father," Azkadellia supposed.

A shrill scream rent the silence in the air. Azkadellia latched out gripping Jeb's hand in terror.

"That's DG!"

Her face was paler than before, and her hand was painfully tight on his.

Dellia focused her vision on locating her most precious sister, "It sounds like it's coming from the woods!"

"Let's go!" Jeb declared turning them towards the sound of the shriek.

"No, I'll go. You find my mother. Tell the Queen her daughters need her!"

_What? Mother? The Queen? Dellia was a princess?!_

"But…"

"Go!" the girl ordered, and hurtled herself towards her sister.

Shocked, the boy ran on stumbling legs, running faster than any boyhood race could have prepared him for. Past the astonished looks on the guards' faces, past the stern dignitaries, he burst into the Queen's sitting room.

"Jeb!" his father exclaimed.

"D…G… in trouble… Delia went after her… the forest…" he panted out.

The Queen was out of her seat like a shot, and through some magical means, transported herself away from the sight of those present. Ahamo, the Queen's Consort, immediately began barking out orders, stilling the chaos into an ordered means to rescue his daughters.

Wyatt Cain true to his training ushered the Mystic Man and his son outside to safety. The royal family may have had bolt holes to hide in, but he preferred to have an open path to run.

The Mystic Man was muttering to himself feverishly, "I'm too late. I didn't understand. This was what I was seeing."

"Mystic Man?" Cain questioned.

"Don't you see?! The witch, she's returning!"

Jeb shrunk back in fear. The man was close to raving now. His father made to move the pair onward towards the path away from the palace, but the Wizard silenced him with a word.

"Stop!"

A sharp rustle through the quiet, a crack of broken twigs. The trio held their breath.

And two little girls ran crying out of the woods.

"Delia!" Jeb shouted, and he found himself engulfed in dark curls and green lace.

"Mommy!" The smaller girl launched herself at his father, clinging with a fierce hold around his midsection.

"Jeb.. she…" Azkadellia hiccupped through her tears against the top of Jeb's head. "DG got caught by an evil spirit. I pushed her away, but the witch turned her sights on me. It was so cold." She was shaking uncontrollably. "Mother…" she trailed off.

She turned seeing the Mystic Man chanting something quietly and touching a calming hand against her little sister's forehead. The small girl slumped boneless, and Cain picked her up into his steady arms.

Azkadellia gave a small cry, and rushed towards her baby sister.

"She's merely sleeping," the Mystic Man comforted her. "I've placed a block against her memories, so she won't know what happened today."

"But the Queen-," Cain questioned before a sharp crack and a rumble as the world pitched and rolled under their feet stole away his words.

The Mystic Man glanced up at the darkening sky.

"The Queen is gone."

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_After writing and re-writing, I finally decided to post. The story is complete, 8 chapters in total. Please excuse the errors. The story has not been beta'd. _

_Any comments and criticisms would be appreciated._

_Grignard_


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

With a cry of dismay, Azkadellia let out a sharp howl, and Jeb wrapped his arms around her midsection to calm her sobs.

_Her mother! Her beautiful, gentle mother!_

The elder princess was thin and trembling in Jeb's hold.

"Cain… Cain!" The Mystic Man shouted, gathering the Tin Man's attention in the midst of howling wind and the dark, formidable clouds.

"You have to take the girls, take them far from here. Split them up."

"No!" Azkadellia gave a defiant shout as she glowered at the suggestion. "I won't leave DG!"

The Mystic Man gave her a sad look, and placed a steadying hand on one of her slim shoulders. "The witch would look for two dark haired sisters, not one." He gave a searching glance upon the duo wrapped together in an unexpected embrace. "She wouldn't think to look for a brother or sister pair either." He looked up beseechingly at Cain.

The Tin Man gulped. This day was supposed to be easy. Just a simple escort and return home. Now the Mystic Man was expecting him to take charge of a royal daughter? But he was an honorable man, and knew his duties.

"I know of a place. DG would like it. It has horses and wide fields to run in," he spoke as he tried to reassure the older sister.

"And lots of things to take apart?" the princess sniffled quietly. DG was forever dismantling her father's knick-knacks much to his chagrin.

"To her heart's content."

Azkadellia closed her eyes hiding her face against Jeb's neck. This was all a bad dream. She was really asleep in bed and when she woke up, her father and mother would be there to greet her.

The Mystic Man glanced up at the sky, watching the world turn strange colors.

"We have to hurry. Cain, you take Azkadellia with you," he ordered. The wizard turned piercing blue eyes to his escort, "You stay with her at all costs." He looked upon the younger girl sleeping in the Tin Man's arms. 'You'll be the only one who knows who they are, and where they are. The _both_ of them are the key. I want your word as a Tin Man you'll protect them."

"You have my word."

The older man bent down, engaging the wide eyes of the younger Cain son.

A soft whisper only audible to him, "Promise me, you will not leave _her_ side at any cost."

Azkadellia still shuddered in his hold, deaf to the events around her.

Jeb swallowed thickly, "I promise."

The world turned dark for a moment before a clear, bright, sunny day took its place. This was an illusion though. Evil was here, and within the form of the lovely queen beat the heart of darkness.

TinManTinManTinManTinManTinMan

Adora Cain sat calmly reading against the firelight as she waited for her husband and son to return home. This was her baby boy's first trip away without her, and though it broke her heart, she wouldn't deny him the chance to spend time with his father. Her child worshipped the man, thinking him to be a grand hero, a legendary Tin Man on the side of law and order.

The mother glanced at the ticking timepiece on the mantel. It was late. Wyatt and Jeb should have been home hours ago.

A crack of thunder and lightning split the silence, and a heavy rainfall started to pour down on the wooden roof. Her husband had built the cabin with a knowledgeable hand though, and not a single drop fell into the house. Her precious pair was bound to be soaked in this weather. Adora thought to prepare a bath for the two upon their return.

A sharp slam of the door against its hinges had the woman jumping in fright.

"Wyatt!" She exclaimed. He had something large and bundled from the abysmal weather clutched in his arms.

Her husband sent out a sharp order. "Jeb! Put away the horses!" He gestured to a hooded figure in a scarlet cloak to enter before him. "Adora, watch them. I'll return in the morning."

And without a word he headed back into the blinding storm leaving her alone with a complete stranger.

The bedraggled figure shivered moving closer to the burning fire. Ever the concerned hostess, Adora ran to get towels to dry her unexpected guest. The stranger gave soft thanks as they removed their hood. The older woman let out a small gasp as she recognized the famous figure standing in her home.

"Princess Azkadellia!"

The girl, true to her upbringing, gave a small but unsteady curtsey towards the woman. "I'm sorry to intrude, but there was a problem," she trailed off with a sob.

Cain's wife's maternal instincts reared up. Heedless of the girl's wet state, she gathered the weeping child into her arms carefully rocking and shushing her. The door flew open, and both women stiffened in fear.

The dark brown eyes of her dearest son greeted his mother's eyes.

"Jeb!"

Though he claimed he was too old for hugs, Adora opened her arms and folded him into her hold. To the mother's surprise, her young son embraced the princess fully with a free arm. The princess too had wrapped an arm around his shoulders, pulling herself closer to him.

The mother herded the pair into Jeb's room quickly changing Jeb out of his wet clothes. She ran to the rooms she shared with Wyatt grabbing a spare nightgown.

Azkadellia gratefully let her wet dress pool to the floor. Though the new gown was long on her, at least it was dry.

The woman toweled dried their hair as both swayed exhausted from their flight from danger. Again, to her astonishment, Adora could see that Jeb had a hold of the royal's hand. She had thought he was still in his "girls were nothing but a nuisance" stage.

She pictured the layout of her small cottage. Adora hated for Azkadellia to sleep by herself in the sitting room, but it was the only space available.

Jeb seemed to answer her worries, however, as he wandered over to his bed, collapsing atop the bedcovers, dragging the princess with him. The girl laid herself down, head pressed between his shoulder blades, and curled her body against his back. Together the pair fell into a weary rest.

Adora could only shake her head as she tucked the two under the warm coverlet. Pressing a kiss against both of their foreheads, only one thought ran through her mind.

_What in the O.Z. had happened?_

TinManTinManTInManTinManTinMan

The morning dawned dark and cloudy, similar to her own mood. Adora Cain let the children sleep in. She thought of the girl currently occupying her son's room. The mother could not rest, only waiting beside a lit candle to await her husband's return. Within the rising double suns, she saw his strong figure hiking up the muddied hill.

"Wyatt!" she breathed, but he gestured her inside.

After changing into a dry set of clothes and a hot cup of coffee in hand, the Tin Man explained the whole situation to his confused wife – the Queen, the Witch, and the promise he made to the Mystic Man.

After a few minutes of silence, as she gathered her thoughts, Adora could only quip, "Well, I always wanted a daughter."

Wyatt let out a sharp bark of laughter, half hysterical in nature. He never loved his wife more than he had at this moment.

"We'll have to move. Somewhere where no one knows our faces."

She let out a disappointed sigh, "But you built this house yourself."

"I can build another one. Just think of it, a bedroom for each of the children, and maybe a sewing room for yourself?"

Adora had to concede it to the man. He knew just what to say to convince her.

"And a garden," she teased him gently.

The blue-eyed man could only grin, "As you wish."

TinManTinManTInManTinManTinMan

They made the move slowly, not wanted to alert their nosy neighbors as if they had fled into the night. Adora had broken the news to the townswomen, lying that they were being stationed closer to the Mystic Man in Central City.

"That's too bad Adora, but think of all of the new shops you could go to!"

Mrs. Cain gave a tight grin. She would be glad to leave that superficial neighbor.

Rather than build a new home, Wyatt Cain had found an old cabin behind a great white elm tree. It was a fixer upper, but one he could easily adapt to his sudden expanded family.

Poor Azkadellia had to stay hidden throughout the transitional time, but she didn't mind. Her entire world had been upended. Gone were the grand palaces and china plates. Instead of delicate lace garments, she had one of Adora Cain's handmade dresses. No mother, father, or sister to comfort her.

But it wasn't so bad.

Jeb Cain showed her every one of his childhood treasures - a pretty ruby glass bead, half of a broken bird's eggshell, a shiny metallic rock he had found by the stream.

Azkadellia smiled. These riches were just like the heart shaped rock DG had hidden by the lake.

_DG… _Her heart fell in mourning.

Adora had gently brushed Azkadellia's hair in careful strokes, tying her tresses back with a pink ribbon. She pressed a bowlful of newly cooked beef stew into the pale girl's hands, urging the girl to eat despite her lack of appetite. Wyatt had assured the elder girl that DG was in a safe location, but she couldn't know where. The less people who knew of the youngest princess' whereabouts, the better.

Secretly Azkadellia was thrilled at all of the attention the Cain family showered upon her.

In the palace, DG was the favorite, the miracle child. After Azkadellia was born, the Queen and Consort hoped for a second child, but after many years of trying were prepared to give up. As Azkadellia was entering into lessons for deportment and being groomed to become the O.Z.'s heir, the Queen had joyously announced she was with child. After that moment, the eldest princess was quietly forgotten by her parents.

Don't take her wrong however. The dark-haired girl would never give up her precious baby sister for the world, but there were some days when DG's adventures would go too far, resulting in Azkadellia getting into trouble, like that terrible day. Dark thoughts and resentment entered her mind occasionally, but she would never act on them. It was merely sibling jealousy. Such a bitterness didn't exist between her and Jeb, to her delight.

Cain took the time to rehearse the family's cover story.

"Azkadellia, you're our daughter. We'll keep you the same age, but…" He gave her a resigned smile, "We'll have to cut your hair."

The girl's eyes shot up at that suggestion. She always had long hair. She wasn't a vain creature, but her thick tresses were one of her sources of pride and joy.

"It will disguise your look, although your hair is darker than ours," he muttered.

Adora smiled to ease the girl's tension, "A little lemon juice and some sun should lighten it in no time."

A warm hand turned the royal's face back the older man's ice-blue eyes.

"Now Azkadellia, I can't ask you to call us your mother and father," he trailed off. "But we will be your parents. We will love you and take care of you as if you were one of our own."

His wife held the princess' hands in her own beside him.

The girl compared the woman's roughed hands to her mother's delicate, smooth ones. The man's cropped blonde cut to her father's loose, flowing locks. How different they were, but she could see that her new set of parents were filled with love for her just like her old ones.

"How about Mama and Papa?" she suggested. Two pairs of beaming eyes met her shy smile.

Jeb Cain was another problem.

"Father, I can't say that she's my sister. That would be lying."

His father growled in exasperation. Yes, he taught his son not to lie, but sometimes a white lie now and then was necessary.

The Tin Man tried again, "When someone asks who Azkadellia is, what do you say?"

The little boy glanced over at the smiling girl speaking with his mother.

A careless shrug. "She's Dellia."

Wyatt blinked owlishly at the simple answer. "That'll do."

And so Dellia Cain joined their little family.

TinManTinManTInManTinManTinMan

During the day the former princess helped the Cain mother pack up the family belongings. Adora had picked up a couple of bolts of cloth in town, and the girl patiently stood while the woman took her measurements.

"You're much better at staying still than Jeb is."

The boy made a face hearing his mother's remark. His 'sister' let out a giggle. It was interesting to watch her new Mama sew a dress. At the palace, a closet of dresses was always close at hand with no thought of how they got there.

After the whirlwind daytime activities, the quiet nights amplified her thoughts tenfold.

Azkadellia had gone over the events of that terrible day over and over again in her mind.

TinManTinManTInManTinManTinMan

She pelted after her baby sister, her inner magic and sibling instinct guiding her footsteps. The elder sister dashed her knee against the ground tripping over a large stone, but she fought through the pain to reach DG.

A creature, terribly old and terribly ugly, had her claws latched onto her sibling's shoulders. A maelstrom of magical wind and energy swirled around the pair. Azkadellia could see flying things collide with DG's tiny chest, emitting sparks of light. As the essence of the witch sought itself to possess her sibling, the eldest princess threw herself into the chaotic scene, shoving her beloved sister out of the way.

Only to be seized instead.

The witch turned her sights onto her new target, and the girl was engulfed in fear, pain, and a deep seated anger. She fought to use her light against the witch, but Azkadellia was only a child, and the demon-witch had millennia to practice her evil.

The world turned to darkness, and she was in complete agony until a sharp jolt propelled her against the cold cave floor.

"Momma!"

_DG… That was DG's voice! DG! She was still there, but why was she calling for mother?_

The older girl could see her mother's tall form struggling against the dark evil.

Jeb! Dear Jeb had managed to find her mother in time, but to what end? Her strong and beautiful mother had sacrificed herself in place for her daughters, and the sparks of white magic and black launched themselves against each other in a battle of wills.

"Run Azkadellia!" the Queen could only shout, just above the din of the magics fighting in the air.

The girl did as her mother bid, snatching her sister's hand and running for her life.

She had abandoned her mother to be taken over by an ancient evil.

TinManTinManTInManTinManTinMan

Slow tears fell down her face as she tried to muffle a sob. Mr. Cain (Papa, she remembered) had set up a comfortable cot in Jeb's room. The warm quilt she had been given had been passed down from mother to daughter for generations. Azkadellia had felt honored to even be touching it.

"Dellia?"

She swiped a hand across her wet eyes, "Sorry Jeb, did I wake you?"

"It's okay," he sleepily muttered. "I have bad dreams too sometimes. Mother helps me get back to sleep."

"What does she do?"

There was a long pause. The girl thought her newfound sibling had fallen back asleep, and she resigned herself to yet another restless night. Suddenly a soft shuffle of blankets and the soft creak of her cot signaled his intentions.

"Move over," he mumbled.

She obeyed feeling his small form crawl under the blanket with her, a small metal horse clutched in his hands.

A quiet breath and a soft voice in her ear:

_Somewhere over the rainbow, way up high_

_There's a land that I heard of once in a lullaby_

_Somewhere over the rainbow, skies are blue_

_And the dreams that you dare to dream really do come true…_

And with that sweet gesture, the princess slept calmly throughout the entire night.

* * *

_I had to use the classic song "Over the Rainbow" somewhere in this story. I'm surprised it didn't come up in the television series. Credit goes to the 1939 Judy Garland version._

_Thank you to my guest reviewer and all those that are reading._

Grignard


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Adora Cain bustled into the children's room to awaken them for the day's big move. She remembered observing poor Dellia with dark circles under her eyes during dinner, a testament to her poor nights. Maybe she should ask Wyatt to purchase a sleeping tincture at the apothecary's.

Glancing at the first bed that met her sight, she was surprised to see the sheets ruffled and the bed empty. Their current cottage was small. Jeb couldn't have left the room without her knowing! She glanced around warily, only to spot with relief two heads nestled close to each other on a small cot.

The pair must have sought each other for comfort during the night. Adora smoothed away the shortened hair from her daughter's face. Dellia had stoically taken her haircut like a soldier, not even weeping at the loss of her long locks of hair. The past weeks must have been so traumatic for her, but it seemed that Jeb had taken the Mystic Man's promise to heart, distracting Dellia with everything he could think of.

Hopefully a change in scenery would help. Adora figured anyone would go stir crazy in the same house for weeks. Once her daughter got out, who knows, with some fresh air, even some new friends, maybe she could put her troubles behind her.

With everything packed and ready for their relocation, perhaps it would be a new start for them all.

TinManTinManTInManTinManTinMan

Wyatt Cain breathed heavily with the satisfaction of a well-built house. Everything was ready. All that was left was moving his family in. With the addition of their new daughter, Cain had had to curtail his impulse to aid the resistance once the new Queen's edicts and oppression raised the ire of the populace.

Adora Cain was privately glad about her husband's inaction. There were times where being the wife of a Tin Man put herself into the sights of her husband's enemies. She feared for her family's lives on more than one occasion. With the sudden growth of their family, Adora found Dellia to be a blessing. As much as she dearly loved her son, a daughter was something he couldn't be. The girl quietly engaged her in small talk while the two performed chores, and the former royal managed to create the most exquisite embroidery on the hemline of her newly made dresses.

Jeb Cain found himself with a new older sister. Sometimes to his regret as to when he tracked mud into their brand new house. Despite being a princess, Dellia certainly knew how to yell, but she also came to be a balm during such times like how she carefully bandaged his scraped elbow after a bad spill. He found himself growing a little older, a little less childish now that she was under his protection.

The Queen was bending the O.Z. to her will. It was rumored that her consort was a prisoner within her grand tower overlooking the realm. She was ruthlessly hunting any who opposed her throughout the lands, not stopping at hurting innocent families or burning entire towns in her quest. Finaqua was in ruins. The fields of the Papay cursed with barren soil. Lawlessness ruled in Central City. Cain did his best to shield his children from the news, but her treachery was everywhere.

Her father held Dellia's pale cheeks within his large hands, "That is not your mother."

She nodded with wide eyes. "Yes, Papa," she whispered.

Wyatt's breath caught. It was the first time the girl had called him that, and he showed his pleasure with a smile. He would _not_ forsake this child. "Come on, let's see what's your mother's cooking for dinner."

TinManTinManTInManTinManTinMan

Weeks went by and the family settled into their new lives. Cain would walk into town to his work at a local carpentry shop. Occasionally he took the opportunity logging wood with the other men in the area.

Adora Cain continued the education of her son and daughter. Jeb, to his embarrassment, was slow to read and do his arithmetic, especially compared to the privately tutored Dellia. The older girl paid that no mind as she took the time to help him and even added exciting historical battles to his curriculum, much to his delight.

Today the girl had no such activity to distract her from her troubled thoughts.

Dellia gnawed on a lower lip as she wandered beneath the great elm outside their cottage. Fidgeting, and bunching the folds of her dress together with agitated hands, she walked back and forth aimlessly.

Their family encountered a scare a few days ago. A man dressed in a long, leather coat knocked on the door of their household. He wore the insignia of the Queen and asked for the whereabouts of two young girls.

"The only children in this house are my son and daughter. They're away visiting my wife's parents at the moment."

Adora's parents had in fact been dead for years.

Tucked away behind a secret panel, Azkadellia and Jeb sat pressed together closely in fear. Their father had always told them that at his bidding they were to hide away in the secret alcove and to not make a sound, no matter what they heard.

Three knocks, a pause, followed by two more, and the children were released. They curled up close in their father's embrace as he reassured them of their safety.

"It was only a scout, nothing more," he soothed.

"What's to stop them of calling an inspection of all the children in the area?" Dellia fretted.

Jeb creased his forehead in a frown, "There's too many townspeople and not enough soldiers. There would bound to be a riot if the Longcoats did that."

Wyatt raised his eyebrows in surprise at Jeb's answer. That was actually an insightful remark. He couldn't help but to reach out a large hand, smoothing Jeb's wrinkled forehead with the pad of his thumb.

"That's right, son. If they ever did that, you two are to take the horses and ride to the Mystic Man."

His son and daughter nodded, knowing his instructions by heart should anything ever happen to their father.

And that was what disturbed his daughter today.

There had to be something better to do than hiding and running away! She at least wanted to protect herself and her family if the time came. _Azkadellia_ had failed before. _Dellia_ would not.

The girl paced again thinking of the terrifying Longcoat and the protection of her family over and over again in her thoughts.

"Dellia! Watch out!"

Unbeknownst to the girl, bickering squirrels above the tree line had dislodged a dead branch with their fight. It wasn't a great big one, but still thick enough to leave a bruise. With a shriek she threw out her hands shielding herself from the falling limb.

Only for it to freeze in place above her.

"What?" she breathed.

"Delia!" A small hand yanked her out of harm's way, and the branch clattered to the ground. "How did you do that?" Jeb queried. He had been walking to see what she was doing behind the house when he had noticed the falling branch.

The girl could only stare at the object in astonishment. "I don't know! I was just thinking about protecting our family, and when I saw the branch I could only think of one word: stop."

"And it stopped in mid-air," Jeb uttered with wonder.

The Cain family knew of Dellia's lessons in controlling her magic, but unfortunately they could not find another tutor to continue her lessons. It was for the best. Magic was sure to draw any of the Queen's men straight to their little household.

Jeb thought furiously, "Dellia, if you could do that all of the time, we can protect Mother and Father if we had to!"

"I think I can do it again. I just need to concentrate."

The boy nodded, carefully picking up a small pebble from the ground. Gently he threw it up into the air taking care to arc it away from his cherished friend.

Throwing out her hands again, the short haired brunette feverishly applied the same thought structure at the pebble.

The little rock clattered to the ground.

"Again," she commanded.

Jeb picked up another one throwing it in a similar manner as before.

An inch before it made contact with the ground, the pebble froze in place. Concentrating, Dellia lifted her hands, carefully maneuvering the stone in front of Jeb's wide-eyed gaze.

With a sigh she released the object, soon being engulfed in Jeb's congratulatory hug.

"That was fantastic, Dellia!"

She could only murmur her thanks blushing at his praise as she pressed her face against his cheek. Jeb was growing taller by the day. The burst of magic took a great deal of energy, but she straightened with a determined look.

"I'll have to practice if I want to stop faster objects."

An unspoken look passed between the siblings. Longcoats often carried guns with them when they came to call.

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Dellia crouched low in the tall grass ignoring the dirt clinging to her skirts. Her foe was near and utterly relentless. He vowed she would not escape his pursuit. The woman shuddered to think of the consequences if she lost this battle. Concentrating she threw out her magical senses to detect her hunter.

No sign, which meant she had to do this the hard way. She knew she had her hidden knife close to her reach, tucked away in her right boot.

Well, let the hunter become the hunted then.

Her sharp eyes picked out a tell-tale footprint heading east, clear in the muddy fields due the recent rains. Following it, she traced the trail around the far side of the barn.

Where the tracks suddenly ended.

Letting out a groan, she cursed her folly. It was a trap!

A sudden ping, and her right cheek flared in pain grazed by a unseen weapon.

Dellia ducked low to the ground, crawling towards the nearest cover as more projectiles surrounded her. She curled her magic around each object, changing their trajectory so that it landed in the grass instead of on her. She flared her senses again, straining with all of her magical energies. There! The woman threw out a hand, sending a magical force towards her enemy.

_Thud!_

Pinned against the barn wall, the blonde man grinned at her cockily, but didn't say a word.

The dark-haired brunette rolled her eyes, but let the barrier fall, satisfied to hear the man land with an ungraceful yelp.

His undignified predicament didn't stifle his humor as he gloatingly exclaimed, "I got you! I double backed and waited by the bushes until you walked right passed me!"

Dellia scowled and rounded on her captor, "Jeb Cain! Of all the lowdown dirty tricks you had to pull!" She emphasized her fury with her hands upon her hips, her lips pressed into a thin line.

Her "brother" could only grin in delight.

Eight annuals had passed in a blur, and Dellia Cain had quickly grown to become a beautiful woman.

Tall, with cropped dark brunette hair falling to her chin, her skin was still alabaster white despite years traversing the countryside with her dearest friend.

Jeb in turn had grown taller, much to his happiness, but Dellia could still look him in the eye easily. His originally brown hair had lightened further in the sun, nearly matching his father's hue, but the son kept his locks longer, much to the man's ire. His baby fat had melted away, giving a long, lean look that turned many a girl's head.

Jeb Cain chuckled as he tucked away the slingshot into his hip pocket. He couldn't practice with real guns. Ammo was scarce these days, and any loud noises were bound to draw unwanted attention. He caught her head with his right hand, gently running a calloused thumb across the mark the stone made as it flew past her.

Dellia hissed due to the pain, but closed her eyes at his searching touch. Jeb never missed. Their father had taught both his children how to use his pistol, firing at targets deep in the woods. Dellia was passable in a pinch, but she disliked using the firearm. Jeb had taken to it like a duck to water, nailing every target with ease. Wyatt Cain had been proud of his son's abilities, warmly congratulating the boy after seeing each successful hit. The young man soon became proficient with everything from blow gun to revolver.

"You should be more careful," he breathed, still tracing the wound. If he was a Longcoat and not shooting to miss, Jeb shuddered to think of the consequences.

Dellia sighed, "Every moment we practice lets me learn from my mistakes." Over the years, her proficiency with her magic increased enough so that she could build shields and redirect objects at the same time. It was all thanks to Jeb. She glanced over to the setting suns. "Let's go. We should prepare dinner before it gets too dark." The coolness of her cheek made her long for his caring hand.

The pair made their way through the long grass to their home.

It was a little quieter nowadays.

A sudden wave of sickness had taken the village a few years back, and though their house was on the outskirts of town, their dear, compassionate mother insisted on caring for the ailing families.

Such a kindness cost the woman her life, leaving a grieving father and sorrowful children, but with time the pain lessened, though it never truly went away, and their mother was remembered fondly.

"Where's Papa anyway?" Dellia questioned as she lit the hearth fire.

Jeb filled the heavy pot with water gathered from the well, hefting it onto the dancing flames. "He's gone out."

They knew the code word. Wyatt Cain had gone west just as he had done once a month for the past eight annuals.

The boy's heart clenched at the thought. Somewhere out there was a girl with a closer connection to Dellia; one of blood that he could never surpass. How could he be jealous of someone he had only met once during the worst night of Dellia's life? He had been there for every smile, for every tear shed. As a boy, he comforted her when the nightmares came, and despite his "grown-up" age, crawled into bed with her, holding her in his small arms until her trembling stopped. Now that they were older, restless nights were spent drinking warm milk until the double suns rose to a new day. Without their mother, and their father frequently traveling, the duo often spent many a domestic hour within each other's company.

She threw the ingredients for a quick muglug, stirring the mixture as Jeb set the table. They idly chatted about the local villagers.

"Tristan said he'd ride into the heavens and grab a star itself if it could make me smile," Dellia said laughingly.

Jeb scowled, "That man doesn't have a single brain cell in his head. It might as well be filled with straw! He only goes after you because you're the prettiest girl in the village." The thought of Dellia and that lunkhead made him feel ill.

Dellia blushed fiercely. Compliments from Jeb made her heart feel as if it was beating out of sync. She sought to turn the subject to another direction. "Victoria thinks you have no brains too. She complains that no matter what she does, she can't get your attention."

"Victoria is too eager to please. If I told her that the Old Road was red instead of yellow, she'd agree with me!"

The brunette nodded. Jeb needed someone who could argue and rein him in if he ever got too passionate about his convictions. Dellia herself had to stop him on a number of occasions.

A sudden knock against the door had them jumping in their seats. Jeb motioned with a hand to silence his companion. Carefully he looked out the window towards the entryway.

He returned, all tension from his body gone, making his report, "It's that loose shingle again. When the suns are up, I'll climb up and nail it down."

Dellia sighed in relief. Though they were far from civilization, the threat of the Sorceress still hung over their heads.

Wyatt Cain had carefully instructed his children over the years as he made his monthly journey. Answer the door only to his specific knock. If he was ever away longer that the prescribed day it took to travel to his destination and back, they were to go to the home of Ralph and Lorraine Bedose, three spans across the valley.

"_Look for the blue smoke."_

Jeb's eyes lit up at the thought.

Resistance fighters!

Every day more and more treacherous stories of the Sorceress (as the former Queen so called herself) spread throughout the Zone. Villages were razed, fathers beaten, and mothers buried their children before their time.

Jeb scoffed. Such was life in the O.Z.!

"William Brewer left to join the resistance this morning," he muttered breaking the silence between the pair as they deposited the used dishes into the kitchen washtub.

Dellia could see the longing in his eyes. There was only one reason why he stayed, one reason why he suffered.

The pair walked out onto the porch, bathed in the pale moonlight.

"Another village was burned," he vented. "The Sorceress is making a mockery of the Resistance! They're too disorganized. Too many men are claiming to be leaders, but all they're doing is running their forces to an early grave while they sit safe in their headquarters!" He slammed a fist against a wooden beam in anger.

"If I was there…" he let his question hang in the air, his heart too heavy to speak any more. The silence lingered in the air, separating the pair with its weight.

"Then go." The words clung in her throat as her mind and heart lurched to suppress the thought, but Dellia forced them out despite her feelings.

Jeb whirled around in surprise. "No, Dellia! I made a promise to the Mystic Man! I swore to him that I would never leave your side."

"And _I_ am giving you permission," she countered. "You're a brilliant strategist, and I know that your talents are being wasted here." She looked upon him with dark, pain filled eyes, "You're miserable, and I hate seeing you like this."

He stepped forward so close that Dellia could feel the heat radiating from him in the cool night. She clenched her hands by her side preventing herself from grabbing onto him. If she did, she would never let go.

Jeb leaned closer still, pressing his forehead against her temple. With every softly spoken word, she could feel the brush of his breath against her ear. "You'll be unprotected."

"Papa will be with me, and I have my weapons and my powers." She struggled to stifle her tears. "Every victory you bring to the Resistance leads the Sorceress further away from me."

She reached up a trembling hand and touched his cheek.

"Go. I'll be alright, and I'll tell Papa not to go after you."

The blond man pulled back slightly, memorizing her features with intense eyes. His beloved Dellia, so kind, generous, and thoughtful. He couldn't love her any more than he did at this moment.

In gratitude, Jeb bent his head forward, intent on brushing a grateful kiss against her cheek.

Dellia turned hers, fearful that the longer she looked upon him, the less chance she would be willing to let him leave.

Warm lips caught the corner of hers.

A gentle brush, a pause. A hush of breath pulling back in curiosity, before two pairs of mouths pressed together softly.

Leaning back their gaze met and held for a few precious seconds before Jeb wrenched away taking long strides through the darkness.

Dellia watched him walk down the path until he was just a distant blur through her tears.

TinManTinManTinManTinManTinMan

Wyatt Cain walked down the footpath with heavy steps. DG was growing like a weed with every passing month. Her sweet smile and sparkling blue eyes never failed to bring a smile to his face. Smiles were few and far between after Adora's passing, but the little princess managed to wheedle some out of him at every visit.

He paced steadily seeing the welcomed shape of his house in the distance. Now he could make the time to spend with his two precious children. Both were a pair any father could be proud of: a son strong and brave, a daughter beautiful and kind. Many a man lamented at the carpenter's shop at their wastrel children or their petty bickering. Don't get him wrong. Dellia and Jeb fought sometimes, but always made up by the end of the day. Though they were not true siblings, each would do anything for the other if needed.

A solitary silhouette sat on the porch chair so still and nearly hidden in the darkened shadows.

"Dellia!"

Cain grabbed her cold hands and felt her cheeks near frozen with tears.

"What happened sweetheart? Where's Jeb?" He glanced around looking for signs of a scuffle or fight. None met his eyes.

"I let him go."

"Go? Where?" He studied her face again. There was only one place where the boy could leave to and his sister not follow.

"To the resistance? Why?" He turned intent on bringing his truant son home. Slender arms grasped his midsection with surprising strength and spoke with words muffled against his back.

"Because I love him too much to stop him."

* * *

_Timeskip!_

_Forgive me for pulling a Beth March/Little Woman and killing off Adora in such a random manner. The geography is also a little wonky. There are no proper maps online. Tristan and Victoria are from Neil Gaiman's Stardust novel. A little longer in length, but I hoped you enjoyed the chapter._

_Please review,_  
_ Grignard_


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Dellia lit the lantern and hung it above the doorway outside the family front door so that Jeb, when he returned, could see that he was welcomed. She had done this every day for the past seven annuals.

Her father had merely watched with a sad expression on his face. Cain had sent messages to the resistance members he knew, hoping that someone would look after his boy. His wasn't the only household who had their children run off to join the ragtag group. Before there seemed to be a messenger every month announcing another death, but over the years, the fighters were making headway, subverting the Witch's rule one battle at a time.

The Sorceress seemed to be amassing her soldiers, preparing for a day of reckoning, but no one knew of her plans. Wyatt Cain was also mystified as to what he was to do now. How long was he supposed to conceal the royal princesses? When would Dellia and DG seize their destinies? If he had a say, he would hide the both away for the rest of their lives. He loved and cherished them so.

Evening had fallen and the two gathered around the crackling flame housed in their cozy fireplace.

"The girls have declared me an Old Maid, Papa."

Wyatt whipped his head in Dellia's direction, ready to defend her from the villagers' slights, but the amusement in her eyes calmed his anger.

Dellia was 28 now, well past the usual marriageable age of the girls in town. Honestly Cain didn't know what to say if she ever brought a suitor home. Sorry you can't court her because she's actually heir to the Ozian throne? Her true mother's the evil Sorceress so you might be targeted? Luckily she had never done so.

"Tristan has already married the delight of his eyes, Yvaine, a woman he claimed whose beauty came from the stars themselves! Victoria had to settle for Humphrey," Dellia chattered to fill the empty silence.

Cain listened with half an ear. Gossip was never his strong suit.

Dellia chewed on her lip readying her next statement. If she knew her Papa, he would either shout or leave the room in fury.

"Mrs. Henderson said she needed a strong man around the house. It's too much for one woman to live in."

Wyatt turned to his daughter slowly. The dark haired girl kept her eyes down, her hands twisting together in agitation. His large hands engulfed hers stilling their haphazard movement.

Dellia's eyes widened and she babbled on, "I mean, she's a very nice woman who has her own business, and always thought very highly of you, Papa."

"Dellia." He shushed her with a look. "I love your mother, and before she died she told me that if I had it in my heart to love and protect another, I'd have her permission."

Bright blue eyes, dark wavy hair, and a smile to rival the O.Z.'s suns…

Cain shook the thought away. "But," and he held a finger in front of the girl's face, "Only when I'm ready to and not on your say so. Trust me, you and Jeb would be the first to know." Always he mentioned his son's name. It bolstered Dellia's spirits so.

His daughter nodded properly chastised, but Cain couldn't help but to end the night with a quip as he turned to leave her, "If you want to talk about matchmaking, I'd be glad to offer your hand in marriage to Mr. Monday."

Dellia's indignant shout had him laughing all the way to his bedroom. Old Mr. Monday was ancient enough to be _his_ father, and the eternal bachelor often leered at the pretty girls who passed his home in town.

Wyatt glanced at the bedside picture of his beautiful wife. "I'm doing my best, Adora. Please look after our children."

Their peaceful night was not meant to be.

The quiet was broken by sharp pounding against the door, the knocks quick and frantic.

Cain crept near the front windows peering carefully into the night.

"Wink!" he exclaimed as he threw open the front door. The man looked like he had been riding throughout the night.

His successor to the Mystic Man's protection detail stumbled in, gasping and breathless. Dellia quickly brought him a ladleful of water which the man gulped down gratefully.

"The Sorceress… she has him… has the Mystic Man! He sent me to find you right before he was captured!"

Dellia and Cain looked at each other in alarm. The Wizard was posing as a mere, cheap entertainer in Central City, right under the very nose of the witch herself. It was risky, but the evil being knew he was one of the last people to see Azkadellia and DG before they were spirited away into the night. The Mystic Man had kept himself hidden for the past fifteen annuals.

"How much time do we have?" Cain barked at the man.

"Not long. She has Viewers!"

Cain bit back a curse. The captured man never knew the location of Dellia and DG, but by choice or by force the Sorceress had many ways to get a prisoner to reveal his secrets. Her preferred weapons, the empathic creatures, were being used by the witch to psychically invade any soul's heart, baring all thoughts for her nefarious use.

His daughter bolted, quickly taking action. She grabbed their travelling bags, packing any supplies around the house. Cain went for the weapons.

"Thanks Wink. Warn the townspeople. The Sorceress might be coming here next."

The man nodded firmly running off to do as Cain bid. It would be best if there was no one for the evil woman to question when she brought her wrath to the village.

Wyatt growled in agitation. He hadn't kept in contact with the Mystic Man at all within the past years, but once the Witch found out that he was on the man's protection detail during the time of the Queen's sudden change in behavior, no one would be safe.

They were out of time. Destiny had reared its head and set its sights on his beloved family.

The horses were saddled, and under the cover of darkness, two figures swiftly rode away. Dellia took one last look at the third home in her life she had to have abandoned in a hurry. Strangely she felt more pain at leaving this little cottage than the grand palace she had inhabited once before. Where would she end up now?

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Cain turned his horse west expertly leading the animal through darkened paths. He glanced back at his dark eyed daughter. She was hooded and cloaked under a dark emerald cape, one that Adora had lovingly created for her before her passing.

"Where are we going, Papa?" Her voice was small and quiet in the open air. Her surroundings which were once so familiar were now a dark threat.

He glanced around the area. None of the Sorceress' soldiers were in sight. "We'll take the Old Road to Milltown."

"Milltown? What's there?"

"Your sister."

Dellia stifled a gasp. So that was where DG was hidden! In truth, her Papa had seen more of her baby sister than Dellia ever had at this point in her life. She had remembered a small, elfin girl, precocious and well loved by her mother. Her mother, the evil Sorceress and tyrant of the realm.

The pair rode through the night only stopping in fear of the horses running themselves to exhaustion. Cain lit a small fire and the two bedded down in blankets upon the hard ground.

Dellia had slept under the night sky before, but she had Jeb with her during those idyllic childhood times. Her dear protector wasn't around this time. She closed her eyes drifting off in troubled sleep.

_An old man, balding but with wisps of snow white hair on the sides of his head floated in her sight. He spoke with a booming voice, his white mustache hiding a grin. _

_A beautiful woman with lavender eyes smiled calmly at her on the landscape of a barren beach._

_Mother, Dellia breathed._

"_Where are you? Where are my children?"_

_Here I am! Dellia wanted to shout._

_The woman lost her smile, looking almost in anguish. The young woman felt the brush of soft hands against the tears on her cheeks. She didn't know she had been crying._

"_I am sorry, my Azkadellia. I'm sorry you had to go through this."_

The girl awoke with a start. No one had called her by that name in fifteen annuals. This dream was another sign. Like the many dreams she had had of late, her mother was trapped in the witch's grasp but still alive!

Wyatt awoke hearing his daughter's restless movement. His dear girl had been sleeping poorly for the past few weeks. Dellia's real mother had been reaching out to her in her dreams. He only wished the woman would let his daughter get a good night's sleep for once. He sighed and rose to pack for the day's journey at sunup.

They paced the horses slowly never knowing if they needed a burst of speed or not. Cain led the horses off the path, sometimes doubling back, or breaking branches to create a false trail. If the whole village fled during the night, the chaotic flight was sure to delay even the most expert of trackers.

The brick path, broken at times, was painted though there were many more darker patches than gold colored ones.

Dellia had never sent foot outside her town except for her childhood in Finaqua, but now was not the time for sightseeing. At the crest of a hill, an old battered sign soon met her eyes.

The emblem was faded by the ravages of the weather and poor upkeep, but the display proclaimed their destination.

Milltown.

Both dismounted, and Cain carefully picked his way through the empty town. Decrepit buildings and broken windows was all there was to see. Her little sister really grew up in these conditions?

A sign declaring no humans allowed clearly marked the town square.

Her father gave her a smirk. "Who would look for a human princess among robots?"

A sudden burst from a doorway had them reaching for their weapons.

"Cain! Back so soon?"

Dellia's jaw dropped. An old man greeted them, but his lower half whirled and spun like a manic top hovering a few feet above the ground. He was thin and severe, but Cain greeted him like an old friend.

"Father Vue! Yes, but unfortunately it's not time for a social call. Where's DG?"

The leader of the mechanical town tilted his head quizzically. "With her parents as usual."

_So her little sister had found adopted parents too?_

Her Papa answered her unspoken question, "Hank and Emily, series 1487 nurture-units, programmed specifically to love and protect her like she was one of their own."

_Raised by robots, okay now._

A shorter, dark-haired girl burst through a nearby set of doors, tackling Cain in a fierce hug.

"Cain!" She joyously exclaimed. "You came back!"

Wyatt's eyes closed in relief. DG was still here, still alive. The Longcoats hadn't gotten to her.

"Hey there, Princess."

Dellia's eyes widened. He actually sounded happy. That tone of voice Dellia typically heard only reserved for her mama, Jeb, or herself. That this girl could make him soften so. Curiouser and curiouser.

Bright blue eyes met her dark ones in wonder.

"My name is Dellia Cain."

The younger girl's eyes grew twice as big in shock. "Cain's daughter? He talks about you and his son sometimes." She wrinkled her nose in distaste, "It's weird that he has kids older than me."

Dellia wanted to laugh at her expression. Her little sister certainly spoke her mind freely!

She had always wondered what her baby sister would look like. She gave the girl a shy smile. The family resemblance was uncanny. Their dark colored hair with pale skin. The same arch in their noses and ruby lips. Her eyes though, they were blue enough to rival her papa's.

A shorter, curly-haired, blonde woman dressed in pink and an older man in overalls gave the group a friendly greeting.

"Well! Look who's back!"

"Popsicle! Mom! Look who's here, Cain and his daughter!"

Hank nodded firmly in greeting, "Cain, we'd thought you might be returning ahead of schedule. DG's been having dreams – of her real mother."

The younger girl gave a confused look towards her parents, "But you're my mother," she gestured to the smiling blonde woman.

Wyatt gave a searching look to the nurture-units. "I thought the Mystic Man put a block on her memories?"

"It must be breaking down."

"Would somebody tell me what is going on?" DG scowled near them all.

It was kind Emily who answered her daughter's distress. "DG you are not our daughter. We merely raised you and prepared for this day when you would return to your rightful place. You're actually the lost princess of the Zone." She bowed respectfully to the other woman in their midst, "And this is your older sister, Azkadellia of the House of Gale."

DG could only press a hand against her head in agitation. "My life is a lie!" she exclaimed. It was no time for dramatics however.

A sharp whistle rent the air. "Longcoats!" The warning cried out in the distance.

"No time, kid! We gotta go, now!"

After a brief, tear-filled goodbye with her parents, Cain hefted the weeping girl onto the back of the horse with him. Dellia quickly mounted her brown mare, and the trio set off at a hectic pace.

"The Milltowners should slow them down," Cain reassured the girls, but pressed the animals onwards to further the distance between them and the enemy.

DG could only murmur absently, still in shocked silence at all of the unexpected revelations in her life.

"Where are we going now, Papa?" Dellia questioned.

He raised a single eyebrow in her direction.

"To the Resistance, of course."

Dellia gave a quiet gasp.

To Jeb.

* * *

_Not much in this chapter but she finally gets to meet DG._

_More action in the next update._

_Grignard_


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Dellia struggled to calm her thoughts raging like a travel storm. After seven annuals she would finally see the one person she wished to see the most with all of her heart. Had he changed? Did he think of her as often as she did of him? Of course not, a wicked voice within her whispered. Jeb was involved with the resistance. He was probably busy attending strategic meetings or consulting with superiors.

A terrible thought gnawed upon her nerves. Dellia suspected he had found another object of affection, a young, demure figure who batted her eyes coyly or giggled at his stories. She scowled. The dark eyed woman was not one to look down upon herself but there were times. Dellia was above a woman's average height, possessed a husky, unfeminine laugh and anxious under stress. Jed had to sometimes wrest her hands away from each other to prevent her from twisting her fingers off.

She glanced over at her newfound sister riding behind her father. DG clearly wasn't a horsewoman. She bumped and jolted awkwardly in the saddle, and was she wearing denim pants? How unusual. But that ready smile and warm greeting reassured the elder sister. DG had a good heart. Whatever had to be done in the future Dellia was glad to have DG by her side. Hopefully her other "sibling" would welcome the younger girl just as openly.

Cain's bright eyes flickered between his two charges with a calm expression. It was time. He asked for a sign, and it had answered like a bolt of lightning. No matter what happened in the following days, he would be there every step of the way for his princesses, through hell or high water.

The trio made their way through the tall brush, always careful to stay just out of sight of the main road. There had been a few false alarms, but then their luck ended in a flash. A soft bird call trilled breaking the silence in the air. It was no song Cain recognized, and he halted the group in their tracks.

Muffled footsteps, an impatient shout - Longcoats! And a whole squadron of them too. It was fortunate they were out of sight. Cain made to turn the girls away from danger, but DG slid off their horse, a belligerent frown on her face. Dellia in alarm followed the younger girl, tying her horse to a nearby tree. Cain, ever the watchful sentinel, as always trailed the princesses.

It was disastrous. A fallen cart had blocked the main road impeding a squad of the Sorceress' elite enforcers. The hapless poor folk struggled to move the disabled vehicle, but the structure refused to budge.

"Get this out of our way!" a soldier snarled.

A hooded figure approached the leader of the armed men sitting on horseback.

"Would you and your troops like a drink of water?" he limped awkwardly to the dark coated captain.

A slight growl sounded from near Dellia. "Zero!" Cain cursed. Her papa clearly detested the man. Well, honestly Cain seemed to detest most people, but the Longcoat must have been particularly vile judging from the hated on her father's face.

The captain scowled and kicked the bucket of offered water from his unfortunate victim's hands. A flurry of movement and suddenly a soldier gave a shout as he clutched his neck and went down. It was bedlam as more shouts and then bullets filled the air.

The trio was set to let the action die down when the youngest noticed a red-headed rebel fighter not noticing a soldier sneaking behind her. DG leapt to action grabbing a sizeable tree branch, walloping the dishonorable brute.

"DG!" Cain shouted, just missing her sleeve as he reached out to stop her. He should have known. The girl would risk life and limb for a just cause. Her robot father often spoke of times when the younger princess reprimanded those in Milltown for their prejudices against a human stupid enough to wander into the cyborg town.

Dellia surged forward too after her sister. She wasn't going to lose her newest family member after they had just reunited! Ducking to prevent any contact with bullets while arcing shots away from the fighters, Dellia was faster than her father and managed to grab DG's free hand. A bright flash of light and suddenly the older girl felt a wealth of power flowing through her veins.

"Stay with me Deeg!"

The younger had to smile as she remembered her childhood nickname. They would make the time to get reacquainted, but now they had more important things to worry about now. DG poured every ounce of her magic into Azkadellia acting as a living battery while her sister manipulated her art.

The elder princess threw soldiers into trees before they could fire their weapons, or pushed guns out of their hands. The resistance fighters were resourceful but poorly protected. She could see a few tumble downhill as they were shot. Her father was methodically taking down the enemy with his capable shots.

A sudden stumble and to her horror she lost her sister's hand. Dellia whirled around still cloaked and hooded as she ran to get a clearer sight of the battle. Good. DG was pale but under the protective cover of her father's unerring aim. She looked to see who needed aid next. The girl easily found it. The similarly hooded man who first offered the enemy water was surrounded by a trio of thugs. Dellia launched her magic to knock two of them out while the unknown figure dispatched the third Longcoat. The rebel seemed to be a capable fighter.

The two straightened and stared at each other carefully gauging the other's wellbeing. Dellia felt strange to be so concerned about a complete stranger. She had only felt this much worry about one man in particular. What happened next occurred in half time as she saw him bolt and tackle her to the ground. She landed with a thud as her savior whipped out a knife from his boot imbedding the weapon into the chest of the soldier sneaking up behind her. Foolish girl! That same lack of awareness was what got them into this trouble in the first place! But that man. He threw the knife just like she did!

Still cloaked as she was but breathing harshly, she could see his head arched upwards, assessing his surroundings and scanning for danger. His weight was warm and heavy against her body. The angular sight of his jawline was the only thing she could spy beneath the brown, muted cloak and before she could stop herself, she reached up to lay a smooth hand against his cheek.

A quiet intake of breath was the response to her impulsive action, and to her surprise the figure leaned into her touch.

One second, two seconds, three.

Another shout sounded trouble again. As if one mind, the pair pulled away to take care of the few remaining adversaries. Dellia found DG's hand again, and the girls hurled a man into a sturdy tree.

Cain found himself back to back with the hooded figure, each exchanging shots with accuracy. As the last Longcoat went down, Cain turned to offer his respects.

"That was some fine shooting soldier," he said with an easy smile.

Catching sight of the Tin Man's face, the shorter man froze.

"Father?"

A voice so familiar and deft hands pulled down his hood leading to the face of the person most sought after.

"Son!" Cain answered with delight.

The younger Cain was pulled into a firm embrace, one that was equally returned.

Dellia could hear a low voice come from her sister standing beside her. "That's Cain's son? Yowza."

She had to smile at DG's strange choice of words. Being raised by robots certainly made her quirky, but the taller princess couldn't help but let out a grateful smile seeing the man she had long thought of before her very eyes.

Jeb looked over his father in astonishment. There were a few more lines on his father's face, but all in all the man appeared the same after the long years. His eyes widened in fear as the implications of his father's presence before him clicked in his brain.

"Dellia?"

_Was she hurt? Why was he here? Did something happen to make their father leave their home? Leave her?_

Cain took pity on his son's panicked expressed and merely jerked his head back behind him. A girl younger than him clutched the hand of the hooded stranger he had saved earlier. To his shock a soft, magical glow emanated from their joined grasp. The same hand that felt so soft when it caressed his cheek. Similar to his action before, slim hands removed her emerald hood to reveal a sight Jeb had only seen in his dreams.

"Dellia."

He breathed that precious name like a prayer before he launched himself at the girl pulling her into a thankful embrace.

Dellia choked back the tears in her throat as she met his hold with one just as fierce.

"Jeb…"

It was like coming home again after a long spell away. The comforting scent of vanilla from her lotion and creams and the soft brush of her hair against his cheek engulfed Jeb as he buried his face against the smooth curve of her neck.

Dellia could smell pine needles and leather as she sank into Jeb's embrace. How the years had changed him! He was leaner, and not a trace of his childhood huskiness graced his features. His eyes, oh they were the same dark brown, but there was something haunted buried deep inside, like their father, like a man who had seen bloodshed and inflicted some himself. Nevertheless, she ran a hand through his blonde locks as she was used to doing when they were children. Finally, the little piece of her soul Jeb had walked away with had returned to her.

A soft whistle drifted into the elder Cain's hearing.

"We always thought the Commander had a sweetheart. We never knew she would be so pretty."

Wyatt Cain didn't comment on the man's misconception, instead he raised an eyebrow at his son's title.

"Commander? He running things around here?"

The rebel soldier shrugged slightly, "It just worked out like that. Before, it was incompetent generals competing with who could send the most untrained, outnumbered men against the Sorceress' forces. Jeb came, out of the dark, and completely revised tactics, preferring to hit the enemy in sneak attacks and calculated movements. Thousands were saved through cunning rather than a full frontal assault."

Cain nodded with pride. Jeb had always possessed a tactician's heart.

Well, and a certain daughter's too.

The soldier continued on, "We were lucky he organized our movements so well today. Blocking the road was a good idea."

And they caught themselves a lucky prize too. Zero was of high rank in the witch's guard. He would hold a great deal of knowledge of the woman's inner workings.

"Then we better get organized, quick, before her forces know what happened here." Cain strode over to his cherished children, loathe as he was to break up their reunion.

"Jeb, Dellia."

Their father's voice came from far away, and as if waking from a dream, the pair slowly realized their surroundings.

His men were thrilled to see their leader's face flush as red as their emblematic scarves, but obeyed the orders which he gave in a confident air.

"Bandage up the wounded. Get everyone mobile. Bind the prisoners." He gave a sneer to the Evil's chosen one. They buried the dead hastily. Each Resistance fighter knew the consequences if they were to perish. All knew that only a brief time of mourning was allowed. Time would be better spent for the next to take up their worthy cause.

A cause that only grew more tangible now that the two royal princesses were in their midst.

TinManTinManTinManTinManTinMan

"Wait, not the fingers! I'll tell you everything you want to know! I'll talk, okay!"

Zero sang like a bird, much to his regret, due to another one of Jeb's clever machinations with spoons, some coercion, and the fear of the unknown being greater than any bloody torture.

Cain remarked drily to his son, "You know I never imagined playing good cop with you as the bad one."

The Resistance leader shrugged his shoulders. How could he explain to his father what war turned little boys into?

"Sometimes our methods weren't fake," he tried to speak.

An unexpected warm embrace and Jeb felt as if he were five years old again. Being held within his father's capable, strong arms, the fighter felt as if he could let the responsibilities of his position fade away and forgot the nightmares of war, but this was reality, and he was wide awake.

"I know, Jeb. I know. I wish to heaven that you didn't, but I know you did it for the right reasons."

The camp bustled with purposeful activity. Lit fires cooking today's daily rations were situated between tents. Men inspected weapons, and women ran by with bandages and restocked the supplies from reserves.

In a great tent in the center of camp, Dellia, Cain, and DG were introduced to the most unlikely trio of spies.

"An advisor, a tutor, and a viewer, oh my," murmured Dellia with surprised eyes. She embraced her former tutor, grateful to know he had still lived through the years of the Sorceress' rule. The man had been trapped in the Sorceress' dungeons for fifteen annuals, and only escaped through the bars in his malnourished canine form. Sir Ambrose, no, Glitch, as he was called now smiled cheerfully at her. This was a stranger sight than the were-dog. The Queen's former advisor had never cracked a smile in all the times she had seen him before as a child! The Viewer, like many of his species, was kind, bowing to her respectfully.

DG, of course, bounced forward embracing them all as if they were old friends.

"Toto!"

The elder man rolled his eyes at the unwanted nickname.

Glitch confirmed Zero's words and revealed the details of the witch's evil plan – the sun seeder, once proposed to prolong the growing season, was going to instead be used to lock the O.Z.'s double suns in a permanent eclipse. After the Alchemist had removed his brain, they strung him up on a pole in the fields of the Papay, content to let the vicious beasts devour the "scarecrow" alive. Tutor had run into him instead, joining forces with Raw along the way to find the Rebellion army.

"But it needs a strong power source. The only thing suitable enough is the Emerald of the Eclipse," he babbled. The man had a tendency to do that, even before he got the zipper forcibly installed on his head.

DG wrinkled her head in confusion, "So do we know where the Emerald is?"

If no one, good or evil, knew where it was, it was best to just wait around until the eclipse passed, rendering the Sorceress' plan null and void.

"Queen knows. Witch find from the Queen's memories," Raw, the Viewer joined into the conversation mournfully. He had been out scavenging for food when the Witch had appeared from a door in the clearing, weakened but clutching a small glowing object in her hands. It was said that the woman had battled the great ancestress of the O.Z. herself and had come out triumphant.

A grey field, a young girl in pigtails. As an empath Raw caught the echoes of the psychic battle and its aftermath. "The Grey Gale says she's sorry."

Those around him glanced in puzzlement at his words. There was much they did not understand.

There was one man who could help them.

Cain turned to the shape-shifting Tutor, "Did you see someone called the Mystic Man in Central City? The Sorceress had him arrested about last night."

Tutor shook his head sadly, "After they forced the location of you, Cain, the Sorceress thought he was no longer of use." The eerie sound of a life being sucked from a man's body would haunt him for years.

"Oh! The poor man!" DG held trembling hands to her face. Living in the robot village, death did not come so easily to the metal people. This was the first person she ever knew of dying. She had a feeling his death would not be the first she would encounter.

To Dellia's surprise, Cain placed a comforting hand on her little sister's shoulder. It was strangely affectionate in his daughter's eyes. The anguish was clear on her Papa's face. Because evil had been searching for him, Cain had been the cause of the Mystic Man's murder, but now was not the time for regrets. This revelation was another reason for them all to fight.

There had been a question brewing in her mind since seeing her old tutor.

"And what about my father?" She stumbled on the last word. Her father had always been a stern man who wore a wide brimmed hat and could shoot a gun with ease.

The tutor's forehead wrinkled in thought. "The Sorceress keeps Ahamo locked away in a metal sphere. It's said that inside holds a miniature island on a body of water where she keeps him in a shrunken state."

The dark haired woman exhaled softly. So he was still alive. Didn't that mean there was a glimmer of the true Queen still existing if she could keep her husband and father of her children close by her throughout all of these years?

"So what is our plan?" Dellia, no, Azkadellia questioned in the silence. She could no longer be the carpenter / ex-Tin Man's daughter. She needed to shed that persona and don that of the princess of the O.Z. It was her birthright.

A blonde head popped into their impromptu meeting. "The plan," Jeb interrupted, "is to provide a distraction while a small group of forces stops the sun seeder." He paused momentarily. "No matter what the consequences might turn out to be."

Glitch gulped audibly. Half of his marbles was in the tower, and if stopping the machine meant the end of Ambrose, well, that was a sacrifice he was willing to make. He seemed to get more smiles in his short existence as Glitch than he ever had in his lifetime as an Advisor.

Jeb turned his eyes to the younger royal sister, unwilling to meet the dark ones of his dearest companion. DG was the one whose blood his precious Dellia shared. Already he could see their similarities physically and personally. What would happen after they defeated the witch? Would his "sister" forget him after she took her destiny into her hands? No, he couldn't be selfish. Her heart did not belong to him.

Though his was for her and her alone.

"Yes, there's Ambrose's brain, but there's also the Sorceress. If you can't save the Queen, she'll have to go down with the Witch."

One of the girls under his command jerked in surprise, "Save the evil Queen?! What in the Zone are you talking about Jeb? She's the one who caused all of this!"

Azkadellia turned towards the speaker. Like many of the Resistance Fighters, this girl too wanted her vengeance against the Queen, but no one knew what had truly happened that day.

The comforting blue eyes of Jeb finally met her own. All those in the Cain family had always addressed the evil being as "witch" or "Sorceress," never as the lovely and gentle Queen they had known before. It was time for all to know the truth. Even DG was left in the dark, her memories hazy and suppressed.

Azkadellia's lyrical voice broke the stifling atmosphere.

"The Queen had two lovely daughters. One in darkness, one in light. Fifteen annuals ago, in Finaqua, I was run over by a very rambunctious son of a Tin Man."

Jeb turned red in embarrassment. Years later and Dellia would still never let him live that down!

"This Tin Man was traveling with the Mystic Man whom requested a conference with the Good Queen. He had a dire warning for her – evil was here."

Azkadellia paused gathering her thoughts. They were so innocent then!

"But we children didn't know of any danger. Together, the Tin Man's son and I searched for my baby sister, who was known to run off. A lot."

DG smiled in remembrance. Why sit around in the same old boring place when there was so much to explore? Az's words were making her memories of that day clearer and clearer.

Her older sister frowned slightly. DG's happiness was soon to fade.

"I found my sister in the grips of a dark spirit that had been trapped in a cave in the forest. The Wicked Witch was an ancient evil, and DG had released her accidentally. I…" She swallowed hoarsely remembering the darkness which invaded down her throat like a noxious slime. "I pushed DG out of the way leaving the witch to possess me instead."

"Oh Az!" DG's soft wail broke her elder's sister's heart. The young woman threw her arms around Azkadellia weeping her apologies into the storyteller's shoulder as the last memory block faded. "My adventures always have a way of getting you into trouble! You told me on that day too!"

Azkadellia soothingly comforted her sister until her sobs turned quiet.

"You were just a kid, Deeg. It could have been me," the elder girl whispered. "I could have been the evil Sorceress everyone would have cursed under their breaths."

The tall, graceful woman's eyes glowed bright. She would have been a formidable being, cowing the others to her iron will! Nevertheless, the foolishness of that idea soon had her eyes darkening in remorse.

"But our Mother saved us from that pain, taking it all into herself. Sacrificing herself for us."

Like every mother should act.

_Our Mother._

Adora's work roughened hands, her blonde locks. The Queen's lavender eyes and dark hair. Who was her real mother?

* * *

_Sorry it's been so long, but here's the reunion you've been waiting for!  
_

_Many lines were taken verbatim from the Tin Man series. __Toto's escape is similar to Sirius in Harry Potter. __If DG had not tried to find the Emerald Eclipse in the first place, the Witch's plans would have never worked is a common problem pointed out with the original story. Azkadellia's brief glimpse of power is Galadriel-esque._

_Thank you Tin-a-holic for reviewing.  
Grignard_


	6. Chapter 6

_The last we left our heroes, the Cains were reunited, and now the truth, in more ways than one, are told._

* * *

Chapter 6

Everyone in the inner circle paused taking in Azkadellia's tale.

"So she's not really the Queen. She's really being possessed by an evil spirit?" the girl who spoke earlier questioned in disbelief.

Jeb interjected rationalizing the situation calmly, "I know that all of you have been taught that the Queen is the enemy, but it is merely her face, not the woman herself. If we do save her, let her be judged fairly, much like we have decided the fates of many under the Witch's reign."

Zero had been personally locked up by Cain himself inside a tin suit. Further bloodshed would not serve any purpose tonight.

"Besides, he'll be in there a long time if we fail," The elder Cain joked darkly.

Glitch groaned. "You're definitely a Tin Man!" The men's personalities were as opposite as night and day.

The plan was set. The main body of the Resistance would cause a distraction by the West Gate, a weak point in the Tower's defense system. Cain, Raw, Tutor, and Glitch would advance to the Brain Room to disable the weapon's command center. DG and Azkadellia would have the hardest task – facing the witch alone and try to save the Queen. Baring everything else, they had to get the Emerald away from the evil force.

Evening fell and most of the others curled up in a comfortable spot outdoors to catch some shut eye, if any could with the thought of battle before them.

Jeb sat alone by the fire contemplating his situation. For eight annuals he had been fighting with the resistance, all for one purpose alone: protecting Dellia. If they lost, well he was sure not to live long enough to see anyone again, but what if they won? What would his purpose be then? Dellia would resume her rightful place as a Princess of the O.Z. She would live in Central City, and he? He would never see her again, but if she was happy, then he would be too, for her sake.

Unknowingly, the girl at the center of his inner turmoil approached him silently as he brooded. Jeb Cain, capable leader, father to his men, yet who listened to his fears and worries?

She would, of course.

The conflicted rebel leader looked up to see the reason for his qualms and knew the perfect way to resolve them. He held his arm up in a wide, open gesture, and gratefully enveloped his companion against his side. Dellia sighed in contentment. It was just like old times, curled up by the fire talking about everything and nothing. She mentioned Tristan and his star bride, and Jeb burst out laughing.

"You have to be kidding me! That silly boy managed to land a girl like that as his wife?"

Dellia smiled happily beside him. He was still the same Jeb. Tristan, from their village, had always been an idealist, his head more often in the clouds than not. This time it seemed with his last trip into the heights, he came back with the girl of his dreams.

Hours later and the camp quieted down for the night, but the man and the princess stayed where they were. She leaned her head against his firm shoulder subtly noting the changes in his demeanor. Gone was the gapped tooth boy she had wandered the village roads with. His hot temper had turned to confidence, and he certainly was less foolhardy. She wondered what he was thinking of. She had had the same thoughts over and over again ever since he departed to the resistance.

"Jeb," she murmured. "Did you ever think about that night?"

When you left me, when we _kissed_ were the words unspoken, but Jeb's eyes had already drifted closed, lost to sleep.

Dellia noted many women in the campsite, young and winsome with their smiles. Had he ever taken an interest in any of them? She had not given a single glance at any of the boys in her village, her heart too worried for his safety, but in the wilderness it was another story. One she was not a part of. With a regretful kiss against his cheek she too slipped into slumber.

Wyatt Cain, true to his background, surveyed the campsite with a watchful air. These soldiers, ragtag and thin were loyal to his son. A good sign. There's was nothing worth more than in the eyes of someone in command than a reliable soldier. The blue eyed man kept an eye out for two faces in particular. His children. Their fates were entwined now. Much like his was with his not-so-subtle shadow.

A girl with blue eyes just as bright as his, but not as jaded, followed closely in his footsteps. "Cain, why are looking around so much? There are guards everywhere."

"I have to know."

"Know what?"

He spotted the two near the fire huddled close together.

"That they're safe," Cain whispered. Stepping away for a moment, he grabbed a spare bedroll and pillow from the supply tent. He reached out with large hands and eased Dellia down first. A soft frown on Jeb's face and a twitch towards the knife hidden in his boot proved the boy's distress at the disturbance.

"At ease, son. I'm just tucking you and Dellia into bed."

It was a common occurrence over the many years living in the Cain household. Either he or Adora had found the children curled up before the fireplace and carefully placed their charges safely in their rooms. Sometimes he had left the two curled up within the same bed, loathe as he was to separate them from each other.

Jeb's hand stopped reaching for his weapon, but his frown remained on his face.

Where had his carefree son gone to? No more was the boy who squirmed in excitement to meet the Mystic Man. What met his eyes was a battle weary soldier instead. Some things never changed fortunately. After settling Dellia into place, he guided Jeb to lie beside her. His young son reached for the elder princess, wrapping an arm around her waist, and settling her back against his chest. Jeb let out a soft sigh and buried his nose into her chestnut locks.

Dellia placed her hands atop his and slept on.

After covering the two with a blanket, Cain bent down and placed a kiss atop both of his slumbering children's foreheads, basking in their presence.

He straightened with a silent groan, his back protesting. He wasn't as young as he used to be. The bright blue eyes of his companion met his own. DG's youthful naiveté and his bitter cynicism showed the miles between them, yet she continued to remain by his side.

"No offense to the Consort and the Queen, but Dellia's as much my daughter as Jeb is my son. Nothing will ever change that." He watched over the two, drinking in the sight of his offspring sleeping calmly.

The blue-eyed girl nodded emphatically, "I feel the same about Popsicle and my mom. Even though they were robots, they're still the ones who listened to my problems and took care of me. I don't really know my real Mother and Father." But ever hopeful she added, "After tomorrow, we should have plenty of time to fix that."

Cain nodded slowly. There was a small part of him that wished to counter her naive optimism, but he wouldn't crush her smiles for the world. He had looked forward to them throughout his visits to her. Adora was always in his tin heart, but maybe there was room for one more.

"Come on, kiddo. You're not going to save the world without getting a few hours of shuteye." He held out a strong hand, and without having to see her face to know she was delighted, the pair walked the dark footpath with his guiding hold.

TinManTinManTInManTInManTinMan

Dellia awoke with the dawn as was her habit. She shifted in her bed prepared to check the lantern she used to signal Jeb's way home, but an alien weight around her midsection made her pause. Why was her bed so hard too?

She turned only to encounter Jeb's sleeping form, relaxed and softly breathing beside her. Oh, was this a dream? How many times had she imagined that he strode through the front door with a smile on his face and a loving hug to greet her? The memories came back slowly, the Mystic Man's death, the flight into the woods, the Rebellion. They were together but not out of danger. Still, there was no other person she wanted beside her, she thought with a giggle, than the one that was literally beside her now. She curled in close to his chest just listening to his heart beat steadily.

A soft brush against her cheek roused her from her peace. She brushed it away thinking it an annoying bug. It was an annoyance, alright, and to some people he was considered a pest. Just ask old Mr. Hammond whose apple trees had been pilfered every summer when Jeb still lived near the village.

"Jeb!" she smacked him with a free hand as he again tickled her cheek with a lock of her own hair. It was a common tactic he used to wake her up from her sweet dreams.

He laughed as he easily shrugged off the blow. He couldn't help it. She looked so adorable curled up against him. In all honesty he wanted to kiss her awake, but he fell back on childish tendencies and resorted to tickling to get her to rise instead.

Jeb pushed away from the cocoon of blankets and took off like a shot, his slim form rocketing around the resistance members preparing their campsite for the journey. As he passed them by, they turned to each other giving astonished looks. Their normally dour leader, laughing with complete abandon, was being chased by a very angry royal.

Dellia could have hexed Jeb's feet to make him fall flat on his face, but she was laughing too hard to inflict any damage on him. She must have looked a sight chasing after the man, but didn't care one iota about what they thought of her.

The young man grinned as he turned noticing his best friend close at his heels running like a madwoman. Pelting down the leaf covered ground around the campfires he noticed his father's sleeping form beneath a great tree, his hat shielding his face.

"Father! Father! Dellia's chasing me!"

His pursuer rolled her eyes. Sure place the blame on her! "Papa! Don't listen to him! It's all Jeb's fault!"

A sudden stop by her tormentor made Dellia crash into his still form.

Jeb, to halt her fall, wrapped a firm arm around her, gripping her shoulders with an iron hold.

"Jeb?" she glanced at his shocked expression. She slid her eyes over to what he was staring at in bewilderment, and her mouth too dropped with the same disbelief.

Her father was there, yes, with his hat covering his sleeping face, but curled near his form was DG, her small hand still grasped within their father's.

Cain awoke with a grumble, his deep sleep interrupted so rudely. He removed his cherished hat with his free hand and giving his children a well-practiced eye of disapproval he lectured the two as if they were small hellions underfoot again.

"How many times have I told you not to run around yelling at the top of your lungs so early in the morning?"

He took in their flabbergasted expressions, also following their line of sight to his and the youngest princess' clasped hands. Wyatt gave a weary sigh. _Well the cat's out of the bag now._ He raised a single, stern eyebrow in their direction, "Not one word. We'll talk later," and with that final statement, he replaced the hat and tried to control his breathing. He had a lot of explaining to do.

Dellia and Jeb could only back away silently. No words could describe their embarrassment. Their father and Dellia's true sister? It was too strange to think of.

It was Dellia who finally broke their quiet. "Father always came back a little happier whenever he went to see her."

Jeb made an appalled face, "I know that we thought he would find someone after Mama." Dellia nodded in agreement despite the painful memory. "But I always thought it would be the old Widow Henderson, not someone who's even younger than I am!"

Dellia stroked the back of his roughened hands gently. "You can't help who you fall in love with," she whispered quietly.

Warm eyes met her brown ones, and he turned his hands over to reassuringly grasp her own. "No, you can't." A brief pause, then a hesitant breath, "Dellia, I…"

"Hey guys!" Glitch jumped in with a cheerful air as the two slid apart quickly at his entrance. "Isn't it such a nice day to storm a castle?"

Two pairs of eyes stared dumbfounded at him. "Yes, Amb- I mean, Glitch." Dellia was still getting used to the transformed zipper head.

"Princess Azkadellia want something to eat?" Raw, ever helpful offered her his arm to escort her to the mess tent.

Drawing all of her decorum and politeness to force herself not to scream in frustration, Dellia gave the Viewer a serene smile and took his arm. She gave one last look back at Jeb as Glitch led him off in another direction, talking some nonsense about making use of his ability to dance.

TinManTinManTinManTinManTinMan

The suns rose higher in the sky signaling their countdown to destruction or salvation. They walked in silence, no joyous marching songs to booster their morale. All too soon the reinforced walls of the Sorceress' stronghold loomed before their wary eyes. A contingent of soldiers marched doggedly atop, looking forward to the end of their shift.

Jeb had ingeniously picked the time of their attack to be one hour before shift change, when the Longcoats were too distracted and exhausted after their patrols. Any later and they would have been faced with a freshly rested battalion, or worse, double the men to fight. The men in black were not the target, however, merely a distraction.

The rebel commander was to cause as much chaos and mayhem as possible at the Witch's main gate, while two small groups infiltrated the dark lair. Again he went over the strategy in his mind. His father, Raw and Glitch would try to stop the sun-seeder's control center, code named Ambrose, Glitch's own brain. The second was much harder for everyone to fathom. The two princesses and their tutor would advance above the location of the power source, the focal point of the weapon itself, and where the Queen cackled in madness. What would they face when they saw her? A sorceress? A ruler? A mother?

He huffed in exasperation. What would they say to turn her wrath? Perhaps a few words to re-think her folly, or beg her to remember them? If her husband, the Queen's consort, trapped for the last fifteen annuals in the palace itself could not be effective, how could the royal daughters penetrate her mind? Jeb wished he had a better plan than the one that lay before him. He wished Dellia was safe at home so he could join her in joy.

Ever aware of his surroundings, Jeb could see in their little clearing DG giving pep talks to their unlikely band of fighters – a teacher, a Viewer, a headcase, and a former Tin Man. She seemed to be making some headway, but then again, his pep talks never involved as much hugging as she doled out.

The object of his worry stared across at the battlements probably contemplating the insurmountable odds of survival. It looked like she needed words of encouragement too. He moved standing before her, placing warm hands atop her stiffened shoulders.

"If you can't talk her down, run. You only have to hold her off for a few minutes for the eclipse to pass. Remember you have your knife."

"I don't want to hurt her." Her fingers twisted violently in hand as she spoke.

Jeb looked upon her in apprehension, "You may not be able to save her."

Azkadellia's dark eyes turned defiant, "But I have to try!"

To try and restore her mother. Was she even there anymore? Or did the witch expel her life force like so many of her other victims? No, her mother was not an empty shell! There must be some spark of life, some resemblance of hope in her. Azkadellia had to try or regret never doing so in the first place.

She took strength from Jeb's steady hands; her own were trembling in fear. How did he do this alone all these years? At least she would have her father to watch her back initially, and her sister would follow her to the edge of the Zone if she but asked.

Dellia turned looking steadily into her most beloved companion's eyes. "You better come out of this alive and unscathed, Jeb Cain," she ordered. They didn't survive this long only to fail at the finish. She still had so many things she wanted to tell him, to ask him (that night, that kiss).

Jeb watched the emotions flit across her pale face. His ears tracked the familiar heavy tread of his Father's footsteps, and he found himself pulled into a comforting hold, and the trio joined their arms in a circle of reassurance.

The two youths brushed their fingers together against their father's back, and in one purposeful movement entwined their hands together.

Wyatt Cain had always had the smell of gunpowder from his fervent target practice. His hands gripped his children firmly mentally willing to keep them safe and whole beside him for a few precious seconds more.

"You keep her safe, Father." Jeb buried his head against the man's broad chest like he used to after a childhood nightmare (most often involving Dellia in this exact situation facing her mother with no support).

The blue eyed man sighed. His precious son and daughter. His emotions revolted at the thought of putting them in danger.

"I will, Jeb." He rubbed an affectionate hand through his child's blond locks. "You keep out of trouble too. Know your ground, know your surroundings."

"Keep both eyes open," his children chorused together as he spoke.

Their father rolled his eyes at his their wit. He broke away, memorizing their faces.

_Oh Adora, if you could see how they've grown._

He placed an affectionate hand against Jeb's cheek. "I'm so proud of you, son. Of all you've done."

Jeb smiled widely. "Thank you, Father." The man's approval meant the world to him.

Regretful to break the moment, Azkadellia prepared to depart with the company of their father. Releasing Jeb's hand reluctantly, she tore her eyes away from his lean form. Taking one shaky step, then another as she made her way towards DG waiting in the distance.

She could do this. She could!

She couldn't.

Strong arms wrapped around her midsection, pulling her back flush against a familiar form. Dellia could feel his racing heart behind her, and the words she longed to hear from his lips brushed behind her against her ear.

"Dellia, come back safe. That night, _that_ _kiss_. You asked if there had been anyone else in my life since then. There's no one else. It's always been you and always will be."

And with that said, he released her, jogging briskly to join his men.

Dellia faltered, and her father grabbed her arm to steady her steps. Or perhaps to prevent the royal elder from pelting after his son.

"That… that idiot!" She hissed through clenched teeth. "Of all the times to say it! He had to pick now."

Her father struggled to hold in his laughter. "He picked the perfect time. It's the only chance where you wouldn't slug him," and with a sly glance, "or kiss him."

His daughter blushed as red as a poppy field after he said that last statement.

Wyatt couldn't help but rib his daughter further, "But you know, now that he finally told you, I look forward to calling myself both of your father-in-law's."

The dark-haired girl's eyes widened in absolute horror. "Papa! You knew!" she shrieked. She raised an ineffectual hand, thumping him on his shoulders with clenched fists. All along he knew of their feelings for each other! Dellia thought for a second, a wicked notion taking root. "_I _can't call you father-in-law. How about brother-in-law instead?" she proposed.

Wyatt furrowed his brow in confusion struggling to figure out the meaning of her words until the bright, blue-eyed, younger princess appeared before him.

DG couldn't understand Cain's strangled, stuttering words at the sight of her, and why her older sister broke out in peals of laughter, looking as if a cat that caught a canary. She shrugged, dismissing it as an unusual Cain family trait.

Wyatt Cain.

The girl raised in Milltown thought she knew the man who visited her each month like clockwork. All of his quirks and habits, his sadness after his wife's passing. She knew he was mean and gruff, but sometimes there were glimpses of a warm and loving man. He spoke little of his son and daughter (which made sense now that she knew the truth). DG always thought he acted just like the mechanical men who resided in the quirky town she grew up with. Moving stiffly through life, he seemed to never do more or less other than to exist. Around his children, however, he was relaxed, even smiling and laughing easily at their teasing statements. He was a completely different man.

Well, she'd just have to get to know this side of him.

Linking an arm through his free one, DG gave him a dazzling smile. He stared flabbergasted and entranced by the little princess' brightened face, only to scowl at Dellia's stifled chuckle.

Oh her father, the great Tin Man, was hooked, line and sinker! How amusing!

The trio's jovial companions joined them, the Viewer, former ambassador, and tutor trailing close behind. Their mood darkened as the gaping darkness of the abandoned aqueduct met their eyes.

They were off to see the Witch.

* * *

_Haha Glitch, such a moment killer. Again more mention of characters from Neil Gaiman's Stardust. A little more emotion in this chapter, action the next. I'm still debating if I should excise Chapter 8 or not._

_As always thanks for reading and reviews do help,  
Grignard_


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

A deafening explosion rent the air as the ground shook from a terrific explosion. Jeb's plan had begun to take action, but so, unfortunately, had the Sorceress'.

Quiet and tense, the small group maneuvered their way through the steaming ducts and buzzing machinery of the Witch's labyrinth. Longcoats and scientists hurried about in a chaotic frenzy, ensuring that nothing went awry as their ruler put her fateful plan into action. The strange movements of the woman who called their orders only recently became more erratic as the double eclipse loomed. Increased production of Moritanium deep within the mines in the north, a worthless item to most folk, a sudden urge to visit an empty wooded area along the riverbank, and a withdrawal of troops where there typically would be hordes were a few of her latest unstable proclamations.

Tutor was their main source of information, retracing the path using his memories from when he lived at the palace until the moment of his escape years later. He seemed to show some of his canine attributes, scanning the ground one moment, approaching a left corridor only to turn right at the last minute. Thankfully Cain's heavy arm pulled Glitch away from going the wrong direction in several places.

All too soon, an imposing, heavy doorway met their eyes.

Glitch twitched as they approached the mysterious room. "There's something inside there. Something familiar."

The others looked at one another. It had to be the Sorceress' control room, and the location of the former advisor's brain.

Cain motioned towards the princesses to join him. Maybe they wouldn't have to split up. If they could disconnect Glitch's brain from its setting or disrupt its synapses before the event even started, all of the Queen's plans would be for naught.

They were in the heart of darkness, and as such, fortune was not on their side.

A sudden burst of power rocked the very foundations of the palace, and all struggled to keep their footing. The motley band ran to the nearest window to see what had happened. Did the resistance breach the very walls of the palace itself?

"It's a beam of light!" Tutor exclaimed.

"No," Raw murmured. "Beam of Darkness."

Glitch exclaimed. "It's the sun seeder! It works!"

"It's coming from the main balcony," Cain determined, ignoring the zipperhead's enthusiasm that his invention succeeded.

"Then that's where we're going," DG announced. The girl stood with stubborn eyes. "That's where our Mother is."

Dellia agreed. The source of power must have come from the Queen with the Emerald of the Eclipse in her grasp. She slid her hand into her younger sister's. The comforting sparkles of light brushed against their joined fingers and both drew strength from their shared magic.

Giving one last glance at her unerring father, Dellia determinedly walked down the hallway towards the open balcony. DG met each of her new friends' eyes, giving them a salute with her fingers as she followed the elder sister.

"Good luck," Cain whispered, one last prayer to protect the two (and one Resistance fighter) that he loved most in the world. His body protested, his protective instincts screamed at him to not leave the girls he had sought to shelter for so long.

"Go," the man so affectionately named Toto announced. "I'll watch out for you." He placed himself at the crossroads like an immovable rock facing a mighty wave. His magic may be weak, but his fists were still strong. He could guard the backs of both teams or die trying.

Bursting through the double doors (unlocked, how stupid of the soldiers), Raw, Glitch, and Cain encountered a sight only imagined in tales of horror. There in the middle of the room, a vat of liquid bubbled unsettlingly. Half of a human brain sat floating, wires connected everywhere on the hemisphere, like a demented science project.

"Hey look, Glitch announced. "I'd recognize me anywhere!"

"Glitch, it's time to get reacquainted with yourself'" Cain stated before instructing the Viewer to connect the Advisor to his missing half.

TinManTinManTinManTinManTinMan

DG and Azkadellia silently climbed a ladder right above the scientists' very bald heads and made their way to the grand balcony. It was upon these grey stones that the Royal family could see the entire realm, and presently the Queen stood at its center on a raised dais declaring the most damning announcement of them all.

Darkness would come to the O.Z.

The Queen stood, tall and poised, every inch the beauty that her daughters remembered of her, but instead of an elegant tan colored gown, their mother wore a low cut corset with a dark, restricting skirt. Their kind mother's eyes were that of a dead woman, not the caring lavender that they were familiar with. Who was this stranger?

Azkadellia motioned DG to stay quiet. The girl had been poised to shout at their mother. DG's tendency to barrel into a fight was admirable, but the elder princess favored her dear "brother's" sneak attack mentality. The dark haired girls each raised a hand to remove the focal point of the sun seeder's power. It was an insignificant green crystal, smaller than what Azkadellia expected for something of great destruction.

A held breath and their magic sparked ineffectively against the magical barrier which surrounded their mother, the action only alerting their target to their presence instead. The Sorceress, in a rage, reached out with a magical blow, slamming the girls into the edge of the balcony railings.

The woman's eyes widened in confusion as she perceived the two infiltrators. No one was allowed to be near her as she commanded the suns to her bidding! Strangely, these two adversaries, they were so familiar. Pale skinned and beautiful, one with eyes the color of earth, the other of the sky.

"Mother!" DG shouted as they both stood, their hands still clasped. "There's still time to stop this!"

The Queen's breath caught. No, it was impossible! DG! Then the other must have been Azkadellia. Her eyes swiveled between the two. The royal daughters had never been found after the day of the Witch's escape despite years of searching. She was sure that they had become prey to the wild animals in the forests surrounding Finaqua, yet here they were, to talk her down from the pinnacle of her machinations.

How preposterous!

The witch gave a wicked cackle in the Queen's voice. "Look up. The power of the Emerald is about to lock the eclipse in the sky and bring permanent darkness to the O.Z!" She gave a manic grin towards the girls. "What hope did you have _my children_? Your Mother is dead."

With a wordless cry of rage, Dellia sent a wave of magic towards the creature who stole her Mother's form. She couldn't believe a word the demon said. DG poured her power to aid her sister, and for a moment the beam of light around the Witch flickered and wavered like a spluttering candle.

Papa! He must be shutting the brain cortex down! Dellia thought and redoubled her efforts reinforcing the attack.

The Emerald's power source faltered again before snapping into a steady glow, as strong and immutable as before.

"No!" DG gasped as the two girls let go of their magical barrage.

The Sorceress raised her eyes upwards at the locked suns in triumph. "It's over! I won!" she whispered in an elated gasp.

Azkadellia struggled to clear her mind from the turmoil around her. Her back stung from the blow against the stone railing. What was she going to do? She was terrified. DG's hand was still within hers, but it was shaking too. It was like a nightmare.

And what calmed her from her nightmares?

A tousled headed boy crawling into her small bed. A soft voice in her ear and a song.

The princess sighed, and Azkadellia drew upon her memories, singing an almost long forgotten tune.

"Two little princesses dancing in a row.

spinning fast and freely on their little toes.

Where the light will take them, no one ever knows.

Two little princesses dancing in a row."

Her soft voice was joined by DG's, the sweet sound permeating through the haze of magical energy that whirled around the Queen.

She… she used to sing that song to her children at night before they slept. A little bit of nonsense rumored to be an ancient prophesy. No one had any idea where the light had taken them, but here her daughters were in the flesh. Their reunion formed at the height of her ambitions.

To ruin her plans! To rule in darkness, adored, and be feared by all those who crossed her path!

"Mother," Azkadellia begged. "Do you know who we are? Do you remember us?"

"Please mama, we need you," DG's voice quailed.

The Queen faltered. _Her two babies!_ But no, not so.

"You don't need me. You're not my children. You're grown now."

Azkadellia took the chance and inched her way closer to the elevated platform. "But we do need you, Mother. The O.Z. needs their Queen, our father needs his wife, and we will always need our mother."

The woman frowned, not believing any of the words from her eldest daughter's lips.

"There's a guy!" DG blurted out.

Azkadellia whipped her head towards her younger sister. What?! What was her sister thinking?

"He's older, and he's grumpy as a bear, and just as stubborn, but I think I'm in love with him!" DG babbled and squeezed her sister's hand in apology at the excessive information she was divulging. It was really a matter to be discussed in private, not amidst a magical maelstrom of doom, but she was desperate to get through to their mother.

Lavender eyes blazed in astonishment as red lips flew open to release a torrent of questions.

"No!" It was as if a puppeteer had jerked on his marionette strings, and the Queen went limp before the witch took over, her form finally seen for the first time in fifteen annuals.

She was an ugly, haggard old thing, her face more full of wrinkles and pock marks than smooth skin.

The Queen's oldest daughter reached out with a strong hand, "Take our hand, Mother. Please, we have so much to tell you. There's…" Azkadellia took a deep breath. "There's someone too who's in my thoughts." Her tongue faltered refusing to say anymore. It was a secret wish so deeply embedded in her heart; she had never voiced it aloud before.

Both her children raised their un-joined hands in supplication. Only the tiniest reach was all the older woman needed to take their grasp. The Queen had been fighting the witch for so long. She had never once succeeded in escaping from her prison.

But she had been alone then. Her daughters, her beautiful and strong daughters were with her now.

And they were asking for her help.

With one final surge magically and physically, the Queen reached through the light barrier and grasped both of their hands with her gloved ones. She was finally with them, body and mind. Forming a circle of protection, the trio stood firmly against the witch while she ranted and raved, but without the power of the Emerald of the Eclipse, all of the evil force's blows were useless against the united power of the Light.

"Don't let go," the Queen commanded in a voice completely her own ever since the nightmare started all of those years ago.

DG and Azkadellia looked joyfully into their wonderful mother's lavender eyes, alert with conviction. "We won't. We're not leaving you."

The trio held firm against the Sorceress' wrath, her form rising like a great, dark shadow of evil, threatening to overwhelm them.

An eternity lingered as they questioned how much longer could they hold their barrier of light, when with a wordless gasp, the witch flailed her arms and shrunk into a sickening pool of pitch, bubbling and noxious in sight.

"She melted." DG spoke in disbelief.

The two girls released their mother's hands, unsure of how the freed woman would react. Was the taint of the witch completely gone?

The normally poised woman glanced over to her daughters, seeing clearly with her bright eyes.

"DG! What in the Zone are you wearing?!" Was her daughter wearing men's pants?

Her youngest rolled her eyes, grousing, "That's the mother I remember." The Queen had often gotten onto her case about her creative fashion attire when she was a child, but nevertheless, DG wrapped her arms around her mother's midsection, tucking her head under the woman's chin.

Reaching out to her other daughter, the Queen folded Azkadellia too into her embrace. The older woman sighed contentedly as she held both of her adored children. All of the time trapped within the witch, she had never thought she would be able to have this moment in her lifetime.

"I'm so glad to be back," the Queen murmured stroking her daughters' hair gently.

DG was the first to pull back. "Where's Father?" she questioned with her wide blue eyes.

The Queen gasped, and breaking their hold, she rushed back through the corridors to a nearby room.

It was an opulent bedroom, probably the Queen, no, the witch's personal bedchambers. A small globe with a hinged cover sat in one corner, an odd piece of furniture in the cold room.

Their mother rushed over and wrested open the lid, revealing what Toto said to be true. A tiny sandbar surrounded by water and on the side of a fallen petrified tree sat an older man with long blonde hair. The Queen muttered an incantation under her breath and clapped her hands, and with a bright flash of magic, their father stood before their astonished eyes.

The woman raised a shaking hand to brush against his cheek, but the man flinched at her touch.

"Ahamo…" she whispered, her voice breaking in despair and sorrow.

His eyes widened. That was not the acid tones of the Witch standing before him.

"Sweetheart? Is it really you?" he gasped.

He couldn't believe it as he heard the sweet voice. It was truly the love of his life that looked upon him now, not the witch that had gloated condescendingly and tempted him throughout the years imprisoned.

The Queen smiled through tear filled eyes. She was still a royal. Tears were not supposed to fall when one was a ruler. "It is. I'm free now."

With that said, her consort kissed her with a passion that was reserved only for the most beautiful woman he had ever seen in his life.

DG and Azkadellia could only blush and smile at the sight of the rejoined couple. Though it was their true birth parents, the pair was still strangers in the girls' mind.

Nevertheless, together the family hugged joyfully to complete their homecoming, one spent a lifetime in making.

Hurried footsteps towards the immense doors had Ahamo drawing his wife behind him in protection. DG immediately grabbed Azkadellia's hand ready to ward off any evil, when the least likely person for harm came waltzing through the door.

"Glitch!" the youngest princess exclaimed as the befuddled man entered. He was smiling and casually waved to the ruling family.

He settled himself before the Queen giving the woman a courtly bow. "Your majesty."

The Queen breathed a sigh of relief. Those who were most loyal to her still remembered her as she was and not as the face of the Sorceress.

"Ambrose!" she started before the man stopped her.

"My name's Glitch, on account of my synapses not firing right. My name's Glitch on account of my..." He shook himself to rid of the broken record.

Azkadellia smiled fondly. Her mother would get used to the man in time. Maybe there could even be a way to reunite the two halves of his mind together, but still maintain Glitch's relaxed demeanor.

If the headcase was here, where was her papa?

Two men lurched their way through the door, the taller supported by his furrier companion.

"Cain!" DG wailed as she rushed to his side. She tentatively touched a hand against his wounded shoulder.

Ahamo could see his eldest daughter's face pale at the sight of the injured man. Who was he that his daughters reacted so?

Glitch provided the exposition as he so loved to do. "That's Cain. He worked for the Mystic Man and was here on the day when the Queen, well, when she went nutso."

The Queen flinched remembering that terrible day, but her husband's strong arm around her waist gave her strength.

"Cain took DG to Milltown to be raised by robots..."

"By robots!" Ahamo spluttered.

The former advisor shrugged his shoulders. "Actually, parental nurturing units."

"She turned out fine," Azkadellia soothed the older couple reassuringly.

"She's in love with the man!" the Queen hissed.

Ahamo turned sharply to his wife. "What?!"

"DG told me so, out on the platform. It reached through and broke the witch's hold on me."

"But he's so much older than her," Ahamo mused.

Glitch jumped in helpfully, "Yes, but it's not so hard to believe. He's been visiting her since she was a child, checking up on her well-being, when he wasn't raising Azkadee, of course."

Both set of disbelieving eyes turned in the eldest princess' direction.

"That man raised you?" the Queen asked.

Azkadellia of the House of Gale, Dellia Cain, the girl sighed.

"Papa took me in after that horrible day, dried my tears and gave me a home and a family when I had none." She turned dark eyes towards her true mother and father. "He will always be my father and Adora my mother, just like DG has her parents."

The consort and queen shrunk in on themselves, hearing their daughter's plain admission.

True to her good nature, the girl knew just what to say to alleviate their depression. "But both DG and I look forward to getting to know you, and we do need your advice now more than ever."

The Queen beamed and embraced her daughter in a joyous hug.

Azkadellia held her breath. Her true mother had never held her much after DG's birth, her love and affection centered on her favored youngest. The dark haired woman leaned her head against her royal mother's. She may have had some dark, jealous thoughts due to parental favoritism in her youth, but she was older now, and knew love was shown in different ways.

The Cains' love had more than made up for the deficiencies anyways.

Her mother pulled back giving her a sharp look. "You mentioned someone too."

And with that said, a most beloved figure came striding through the doors, his blonde head mussed and face dirty, but his eyes were elated with victory.

"Oh, it's about to get interesting," the Queen overheard her former advisor say under his breath. The sovereign was about to question the half-man further when the sight of her oldest daughter lunging herself at the youthful figure halted her inquiry.

No words were needed between the reunited pair, only relieved looks as they accessed each other's well-being, before ending in a loving embrace.

Jeb could feel Dellia sigh happily, and the press of her forehead against his cheek. He knew she needed reassurance that he was here before her, but loving words could only be said in private and not in front of a roomful of people. The glowering and curious looks from the Consort and Queen certainly ruined the mood. No doubt they were full of questions.

The duo glanced over to where the only other member of their family stood, flanked by DG and Raw. No reassurances or actions were needed. Though he was injured, his children knew the Tin Man didn't need or wished to be coddled. The proud eyes of a father held those of the two whom he had prepared for all of their lives to face the darkness. They had emerged triumphant, and now were free to step into the bright future.

* * *

_Thanks to the readers for sticking to my story. Tin-a-holic, I reread the last couple of chapters, everything made sense in my head but I'll take into consideration your comments. Everything..._everything _in this story came from the idea of Jeb striding through the doors and Azkadellia running into his arms to everyone's shock. I'm brainstorming another similar story I have with them communicating in dreams while Azkadellia was the Sorceress. One more chapter to go._

_Grignard_


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

Said members of the Gale dynasty was looking inquisitively between their daughters.

The Queen stepped forward commandingly. The motion made Jeb instinctively tense in his place. The holo-vids which displayed her propaganda always depicted her as proud, authoritative, but most of all beautiful. He could see the common physical traits which linked mother to her daughters but his thoughts were jarred as his sweetest companion soothed him with a gentle brush of her hand against his back.

"Is the castle secure?" The woman turned lovely lavender eyes towards the muscular, older blonde she thought was the leader of the army which had stormed the Tower.

To her surprise the elder Cain jutted his chin in the younger's direction. This boy no older than DG was the one in charge of the resistance?

"Those who served under your-" Jeb paused with a grimace, "the Sorceress' rule have been captured and locked in the underground dungeons. The men highest in her council, Vy-sor, General Lonot, and the Alchemist are under personal guard. My fighters have secured the rest of the building."

Ahamo nodded in agreement at the report. The young man had done an exemplary job in dealing with those who benefited most from the witch's evil.

"I think," with a thoughtful glance to everyone in the room, the Queen said, "we could all use with a clean bath and hot meal."

Though they spent the last fifteen annuals as a captive of an ancient evil, the Consort and Queen read each other's intentions perfectly.

The Consort cleared his throat loudly and gestured for the men in the room to follow him. Ever his shadow, DG meant to follow Cain before her mother caught her hand. The royal's hand was thin but strong in her insistent grip.

Jeb gave his "sister" a searching glance. Would she be alright with the woman she hadn't seen in over a lifetime?

Azkadellia's smile was unsure, but present on her face. This moment was what she had been preparing for since she had first crossed the Cain threshold. Her mother had sacrificed herself to save her daughters. It was the least they could do to transition her back into the land of the living.

Jeb returned the look but grudgingly followed his father out the doors of the Queen's personal chambers. He wasn't looking forward to Ahamo's interrogation. The Viewer, Tutor, and the headcase trailed in his wake.

As soon as the doors closed, the Queen embraced her two lovely daughters.

"I thought of you two every day when I was under her control."

"Mother," DG breathed. A sharp poke of the Queen's padded shoulders clipped her youngest on the arm.

The woman gasped, "Oh! This was _hers_. Get it off me!"

Her daughters frowned as they helped their mother out of the restricting clothes. Everything in the room was tainted by the witch's touch. Luckily they managed to get a warm bath drawn, and the Queen was the first to take her turn. DG and Azkadellia scoured the room until they discovered an old trunk tucked beside a sturdy armoire.

"Look at the dresses," DG marveled.

Azkadellia stroked some of the delicate silks in the opened chest. Her mama, Adora, had only made rough clothes for her and her foundling daughter. Azkadellia would sometimes take out her old green dress, hidden underneath the floorboards, and hold the fine material to her cheek, struggling to remember any details of her old life. It became more and more difficult as the years went by. Jeb often found himself staying awake beside a sleepless girl on those painful nights.

The dark haired woman might not encounter any more nights like those, but she still needed the one who had supported her throughout those dismal times.

DG and Azkadellia had refreshed themselves after the Queen. The elder princess gratefully changed into one her mother's dresses despite its longer length. A few days in the same outfit was enough to make anyone happy for clean material. DG had stubbornly refused to part with her denim pants and battered jacket.

"Cain gave this jacket to me," she muttered and after all this time she wasn't going to wear a dress at this point in her life.

Azkadellia couldn't help but smile at that admission. Her sister was completely besotted with the blonde man.

A myriad of emotions flickered across the Queen's face too erratic for her children to interpret. She finally settled on stubbornness. The elder Cain would have quipped that expression was common to all women of the house of Gale.

The woman's lavender eyes flashed determinedly. "I want to hear the whole story, from the very beginning, from everyone." She marched out the doors, prepared to arrange a quick meal for company.

The two sisters looked at each other. Their mother, the Queen, was most assuredly back.

The three rejoined the men in the outer hallway. Glitch and Tutor looked a little more presentable, their ragged coats replaced with newer ones. Raw's fur was even brushed and free of tangles. As always Wyatt Cain remained the same with his hat and long duster.

Azkadellia sighed with relief. Things were changing at a rapid pace, but the Cain men stayed the same. She turned her head and her breath caught. Years of living in the forest and running for their lives left her "brother" with a scruffy, unkempt look. Now he stood before her, clean shaven in simple breeches and a white shirt, handsomer than she had ever seen him. The expression on his face, too, was open and unguarded as his face dropped in wonder at the sight of her.

The woman blushed. Of course he hadn't seen her in a fancy court dress in fifteen annuals, but the warmth in his eyes showed he wasn't displeased. She took one involuntary step forward then another more firm one when the Consort, her true father she reminded herself, intercepted her.

He took her by the shoulders laying a gentle kiss on her brow. "Welcome home sweetheart."

She bestowed a happy smile on him. "Thank you, Ahamo."

Ahamo hid his disappointment at her formal tone knowing he had to be patient. They would not fall back into a happy family so easily. One step at a time. The little things would help though. He offered his arm and Azkadellia took it. She gave a chagrined smile to Jeb. Their time would have to wait. After all, what was one more night compared to a lifetime of waiting?

An impromptu dinner maintained a casual air as the Royals disregarded any decorum amongst themselves. The Queen and Consort remained close beside each other. DG suspected they were holding hands under the table. Slowly the tale began, first started by the queen's meeting with the Mystic Man, Cain's introduction as his protector, and his reasoning for bringing Jeb.

The Queen gave a surprised glance at the young man sitting by her Azkadellia's side.

"You're the little boy who ran into me," she said with recognition.

The young man's red face and Azkadellia's delighted cry of "You ran into her too?" was the beginning of another inside story the royal parents had missed out on during their long imprisonment.

"Oh I'm never going to hear the end of this," Jeb muttered dryly as he held an embarrassed palm against his face.

Azkadellia soon rectified their confusion as she liltingly wove the tale of their first eventful meeting and their adventures at trying to locate her younger sister that fateful day.

DG's bright blue eyes squinted in remembrance as she took up the story. "There was a little girl's voice crying by the caves. She sounded so sad."

Wyatt Cain's eyes met hers. Even as a little girl she wanted to help others with no consideration to her own safety. The witch and her evil had used and abused that same kindness in order to escape.

The exchange of Azkadellia for DG, then their mother for her daughter led to the Queen's painful description of what it was like to not be in possession of her own body. To want to scream and only have nothing come out, she wouldn't have wished that experience on her worst enemy.

Ahamo reached out and placed a free hand comfortingly upon his wife's shoulder. She was aware of all that the Sorceress did in her body, though she fought and shouted within the witch's head.

"She often complained of headaches," Tutor noted with pride.

His sovereign had not been a passive force even trapped within the evil.

"But there were still lives taken with magic," her lavender eyes turned haunted with grief.

Raw took her hand reassuringly. "Dark magic, not light. The Queen could try now but fail."

The freed royal slowly deciphered the meaning behind the words the Viewer had uttered. It was true. Even if she wanted to, she didn't know the incantation or actions needed to rip a man's life force from his body. It was all the witch's doing. The actions of the Longcoats and Alchemists who served under the Sorceress' reign were of their own volition too. Rather than only following orders, the men crafted their own evil. All the witch desired was the sun seeder, the emerald and all the chaos in the OZ she could revel in.

The story continued telling of the Mystic man's idea to split the children up.

"I tried to raise your daughter as best I could, ma'am," Wyatt said humbly. "DG was placed with the best nurturing units in Milltown, and all those who lived there would protect her with their lives."

DG was startled to know that Cain had knew her parents had been robots the entire time, but then again she was a little dense for not placing the flying top preacher with a viewscreen in his chest as an oddity.

The Queen bowed in her seat to Cain, a very rare and significant bestowal. "I can see that they turned out very well," she said graciously. "I look forward to getting to know them."

DG and Azkadellia smiled together. They would love to be reacquainted with their lost family too. It didn't take a mother's plea to convince them.

Their childhoods were fondly recollected on, but it was Jeb's decision to join the resistance and his efforts to subdue the evil within the Queen that really impressed Ahamo.

"The witch would either come to me to gloat at my misfortunes, or be in a snit over a failed battle. It seemed in the later years that she came to me more frustrated than elated," the older man stated.

Ahamo had been trapped within that metal sphere for ages, his hope only truly dying when the evil wearing the face of the woman he loved presented to him the Emerald of the Eclipse around her neck. He thought his daughters had been missing or killed by wild animals the day he had lost his wife, but he had regained all that he had lost during this joyous night.

His daughters seemed a little too happy with their unusual paramours, the man thought with resignation, but the Consort wouldn't stand in their way. In fact, he recalled the waves he and his love had made the minute the royal and Slipper made news of their engagement public.

The final battle was brought to light to the curiosity of all in the room. Cain, Glitch and Raw's bravery in disabling the brain cortex and power control center of the witch's dark plan was met with smiles. There was talk of reuniting Glitch with his other half, but the zipperhead was content to remain as he was for the present time.

The Queen described the agonizing moments she had before she was freed. Despair and guilt had weighed heavily on her as she gazed upon the city atop the raised platform before the welcomed sight of the princesses put everything into perspective. She had to fight for both the O.Z. and for her regained daughters.

The lavender eyed woman described the effort it took to take her first steps out of the Witch's grasp. "I failed you when you were younger, and I certainly wasn't going to do so again." She turned a knowing eye to her girls, "Especially in light of your revelations."

Cain wondered why DG blushed so, but decided to let the issue be. All it mattered was that it brought the Queen out of her dark cage into the light. Much like DG had done for him over the past annuals, the man had finally convinced his heart to have a long, candid talk with the younger princess in the near future.

Night had settled across the land, only a temporary one to everyone's relief. The double suns would rise in a few hours' time to brighten the end of a long war. There was still so much to say and do, but the embattled warriors were falling asleep in their seats.

Rooms had been set up for each of the motley crew. The Queen had refused to sleep in the Witch's chambers. All that mattered to her was finally for once ending the day by falling asleep by her husband's side, a thought he most happily agreed with.

TinManTinManTinManTinManTinMan

It was some time later as Jeb retired for the night, calling for his own troops to disperse and spread the good news. To think that just a day ago, he had been sleeping atop pine needles wondering if he was going to live throughout the final battle. Now here he was in the lap of luxury, dining with the royal family and sleeping in their guest bedroom - a bedroom that was well decorated with lavish furniture and a spacious bed.

Which was entirely too big for him.

He rolled left and right under the covers wondering if he would get any sleep this night. In all honesty it wasn't the bed that was bothering him. He wondered what his place would be in Azkadellia's life now that she had been restored to her former title. She wouldn't need the awkward little commoner by her side anymore. She was a princess now.

A tap on the door interrupted his angst.

Or would she?

Her head poked inside his room, her brunette locks brushing against her jawline.

Wordlessly he motioned her in and her pretty smile lightened his burdens. He shifted over on the bed and drew back the bedcovers, just like when they were younger.

Delighted, she shut the door softly and let the black robe slip off her shoulders onto a nearby chair.

Jeb nearly had an aneurysm in his spot.

"Dellia," he choked out in a strangled tone. "What in the O.Z. do you have on?!"

She flushed and bit her lip in mortification. "It was the only thing mother had that would fit me." Said offending item was a slinky, silk nightgown with a soft pink hue and an undeniably low neckline.

"Are you sure you didn't leave a few pieces somewhere?" Jeb croaked. He was having trouble breathing. Granted it had been a few years since he had seen her, but her outfit was certainly leaving nothing to the imagination.

"Jeb!" she bit out with a very frustrated groan at his wit.

He laughed and could only quip, "Get over here before you freeze."

She moved to crawl atop the bed but somewhere in that short distance between the doorway and the bed, the princess tripped, only to land atop the rebellion leader's prone body.

Azkadellia froze as her hands splayed across the bare skin of Jeb's chest. "You're… you're not wearing a shirt," she stuttered, her brain short circuiting at the expanse of naked skin. Was this how Glitch felt all of the time?

All Jeb felt was silk and softness, and yup, those were definitely curves under his hands. He frantically began to mentally list the rulers of the House of OZ to distract his traitorous body.

"It was cooler in the nights in the woods. It's too warm in the palace. What about your rooms?" he could only wheedle out.

_Queen Lurline, Pastoria, Ozma, Dorothy..._

There was silence from the woman lying atop him.

"Dellia?" He glanced down at her dark eyes, but they were fixated on something else.

Slowly a light hand reached out and mesmerizingly wrapped slim fingers around his bicep, tracing the muscle with her fingertips.

Jeb began to laugh at her distraction, when her head whipped up to meet his gaze, flushing in mortification.

She couldn't help it! She had never seen him in this way before! He was certainly not a little boy anymore. She slapped the same hand against his chest a few ineffectual times, as the man couldn't help but release his guffaws at her blatant source of distraction.

He rolled them over until he had her pinned beneath him under the blankets. "It looks like I'm not the only one affected by all of the changes between us since we last saw each other."

Azkadellia smiled softly as her hands reached up to cradle his face. She knew what night he spoke of. That memory had forever stayed in her fondest recollections even in the darkest of moments. Finally, after all of those years spent disguising who she was. All of her toils had come down to this point in time. Oh, besides defeating the witch, recovering her mother and sister, and regaining her kingdom, of course.

The girl merely had to tilt her chin forward and sought the reward she had been waiting so long for.

Their first kiss had been a mere brush and an accident. Their second had followed the first out of curiosity. This third one was presented as a gift of love. After their fourth and fifth kisses, well, the princess and the resistance fighter lost track after that.

They pulled away breathing heavily as they righted themselves. It was a heady feeling after such a painful and long length of separation.

Jeb kissed her temple sweetly, murmuring in her ear, "Dellia Cain, Azkadellia of the House of Gale, whatever your name or title is, I love you."

"Jeb," her eyes filling with tears, "I love you too. I always have, no matter who I was or who I'll become."

He tilted his head back wiping her tears away with the roughened pad of his thumb. Years of combat and shooting had made his hands tough, but they were still gentle enough with the love of his life in his arms. He traced a hand across her cheek and tangled it through her brown locks.

"What will you become now that the witch is gone?"

Azkadellia looked away from him, slightly worried. "The population doesn't trust the royal family anymore. Hopefully the footage we have of the Queen separating from the Witch's spirit should calm them down."

The Sorceress had been meticulous with her spy networks, and tonight she had wanted to capture her triumph permanently into record. Ahamo had himself pulled the information from the Alchemist's personal source box.

"We think," the dark-haired beauty continued, "that the Queen, my mother..." She grimaced still trying to get used to the name, "She'll abdicate and transfer the right of rule to her daughters." After seeing his confused brow she clarified, "There's no way I'm running this madhouse alone."

A commoner turned princess and a girl raised by robots was certainly a unique ruling counsel.

"Co-rulers," he mused. "At least you'll have Glitch, Tutor, Raw, and Father, of course," he soothed her.

Azkadellia smiled at the mention of her papa's name. "Mother wants to make him the captain of the royal guard. Can you imagine him running drills around the royal courtyard?"

Jeb had to stifle a chuckle at the mental image.

She pressed her forehead against his cheek drawing closer to the heat of his body. "And what about you?" she queried softly, "Would you join Papa in training the guards too?"

He frowned above her head taking the time to answer. "I don't know. Running drills and marching in time never sounded appealing to me. Plus the green uniforms are an eyesore." He could feel Azkadellia's shoulders shake with laughter. Green had been the royal house colors for as long as the O.Z. was in existence.

The blond man continued to run his fingers through Azkadellia's hair absentmindedly. "With the Resistance we were always secretive with hit and run encounters against the Longcoats. My battle tactics have always been geared towards that." He gave a heavy sigh, "And I'm not sure that the Queen and Consort even approve of me being around you. Your mother kept staring at me throughout dinner."

His princess froze in his arms. "It might be," she added weakly, "because I hinted to her that I was in love with you while we were battling atop the platform."

He groaned aloud turning his face into the down pillow, "And knowing her she must have told Ahamo. No wonder why he interrogated me and Father so severely just before dinner!"

The princess threw her arms around his neck, holding him close.

"I know it's unreasonable, but from their perspective, they missed out on fifteen years of their children's lives."

Jeb pressed his cheek atop her bowed head. "You're right, but it would be nice to have their blessing," he murmured.

Azkadellia nodded. After losing her parents for such a long time, she hated to have their disapproval so soon, but they had to know she was her own woman, and not a little girl to be coddled again.

"Well," she proposed, "We'll need a protection detail to restore Finaqua and also to revitalize the blight in the Papay fields. Oh and there's the land of the Unwanted to deal with."

Jeb stilled at that last option, recollecting something the Consort had told him during the pre-dinner grilling. "After Ahamo interrogated me to within an inch of my life..." Azkadellia poked him viciously in the stomach at that statement. "He mentioned something that sounded interesting. It was a position that involved secrecy and collecting information for the Queen. Sometimes it's in a seedy bar in the land of the Unwanted, or in a hot air balloon surveying the movements of the Eastern Guild." The brightly painted munchkin inhabitants were always raising a fuss about this or that.

He continued on, "I can still report to the palace and see you, Father, and DG. Ahamo specifically told me it would be in my best interest to take the job."

Azkadellia raised her head up to meet his gaze. "That sounds familiar." Something from her childhood was pressing against her thoughts during Jeb's description of the position.

He shrugged his shoulders, "Ahamo called it... the Seeker."

Jeb saw her dark eyes widen in disbelief as she stared at him.

"Are you sure?" she asked him, a strong desperation in her tone of voice.

"Yeah, pretty positiv-"

His words were cut off as she crashed her lips against his, leaving him sprawled on his back literally gasping after they broke apart.

Taking a few seconds to remember how to speak, he asked, "Dellia... not that I don't mind, but why did you do that?"

She blushed and smiled shyly above him. "Jeb, when Father told you to accept the Seeker position, the job is typically reserved for one person and one alone." She couldn't meet his gaze as she traced his arm again with her fingertips. "The title of the Seeker can only be claimed by the Queen's Consort."

Now it was Jeb's turn for his mouth to drop as he processed her revelation. This had been Ahamo's infuriating way of telling him that he approved of Jeb for his daughter!

Well this certainly simplified things.

The young man smirked as he pulled the scarlet princess closer to him. "And since DG has no need for me, I'm guessing he meant you?"

Azkadellia merely laughed and stopped his teasing with a kiss.

Jeb smiled against her mouth but couldn't help but egg on the princess one more time.

"I'll take the job on two conditions."

The brunette huffed against him at the interruption. "And they are?"

"One, I can keep calling you Dellia."

The princess nodded. She didn't want to be addressed by any other name from him.

Jeb grasped a lock of dark hair with his fingers blushing slightly. "And two, that you grow your hair out again. I loved you when you had it long, just as much as I love you now."

She could only acknowledge his simple requests with another gentle brush of her lips against his.

TinManTinManTinManTinManTinMan

Just before Azkadellia slipped into slumber, the newly found princess of the O.Z. couldn't help but recall a line from a melody once sung to her by the man whose arms she now slept in:

_And the dreams that you dare to dream really do come true._

* * *

_Ah and that's the end. A lot of this chapter was recap but I hoped it was sweet enough. Thanks to my reviewers Seapeac and Tin-a-holic and to all those who have read. I hope to continue to write more in this fandom._

_With much appreciation,  
Grignard_


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